Tesla Universal Connector 14-50 orientation

[jasonhi]

Anyone with the Tesla Universal Mobile Connector...

Can you confirm that the 14-50 pigtail is oriented so that the three flat prongs are down and the 4th prong is at the top if I want the pigtail to hang straight down the wall from the outlet?

I've been installing a NEMA 14-50 outlet (conduit, wire and outlet) in my garage today, and I'm about ready to put the plug into the box. Figure I may as well get it oriented the way I'll want it now.

Thanks,
...Jason

[doug]

So it appears:

[TEG]

That seems to be the standard orientation.
(Unlike the household 120V NEMA5-15 which has the ground pin on the bottom.)

[ChargeIt!]

I can confirm. And RV parks I've encountered also do it that way, but you will find the occassional non-standard orientation (round ground pin at bottom) which can create an interference problem when combined with an outlet-cover (usually hinged at the top).

(Note: receptacles shown in pictures attached below are NOT in the standard orientation.)

[TEG]

Yes, people used to installing NEMA5-15 might be used to putting the ground pin hole at the bottom, so they mount the NEMA14-50 upside down by mistake. (And the writing on the socket ends up upside down which should have been a clue.)

[pgwoosley]

If you want the cord to hang down, install the socket with the round hole up. If you want the cord to go up, install the socket with the round hole down. Obviously, if you are installing a socket with a top-hinged cover, the round hole must up.

Be sure that the ground hole is actually grounded, even if simply with a short wire to the neutral. The MC-240 checks to see if the ground prong is connected to ground.

[ggr]

Yes you can do the upside down way. That's the most comfortable way to put it upside down or the hanging method as you wants it to put out.

Many standards are coming out now so that the ground pin is highest. Apparently dropping things on loosely inserted plugs has started fires.