EV / Car power cord hung from garage ceiling (retractable?)

[capnamerca 572]

Ok home DIY and problem solvers, help me out.

We got an electric car, and are putting a big charger in the garage. We park the car towards the middle of the garage, so the charger is going on the back wall. I want to swage the power cable across the ceiling so it doesn't drape across the middle of the garage every time we plug in the car. What I want is a way to have the plug readily available near the back of the car, but up out of the way. I'd like to get/find some sort of cable reel, or industrial pulley, or even just a soft spring of some sort, so that the cable lives/stays on the ceiling, but I can just reach up, grab it, pull it down and plug it in.

I'd also prefer to NOT spend >$40 or so. I've found the extension cord retractors at HD - that would do the job, but seems like a waste. I looked at lifeline / harnesses for high-wire workers, which would nail the use case but are crazy expensive. I even thought about a portable clothesline, but the retraction springs aren't very strong in those, there more designed for lockout strength so you can hang stuff on the outstretched line.

So - any good ideas?

[elfenix 34332]

TIL swage is a word, but apparently not the word you were looking for. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21922]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you couldn't use regular EV cords on a reel because of the heat generated 

[washparkhorn 9939]

2 hours ago, capnamerca said:

Ok home DIY and problem solvers, help me out.

We got an electric car, and are putting a big charger in the garage. We park the car towards the middle of the garage, so the charger is going on the back wall. I want to swage the power cable across the ceiling so it doesn't drape across the middle of the garage every time we plug in the car. What I want is a way to have the plug readily available near the back of the car, but up out of the way. I'd like to get/find some sort of cable reel, or industrial pulley, or even just a soft spring of some sort, so that the cable lives/stays on the ceiling, but I can just reach up, grab it, pull it down and plug it in.

I'd also prefer to NOT spend >$40 or so. I've found the extension cord retractors at HD - that would do the job, but seems like a waste. I looked at lifeline / harnesses for high-wire workers, which would nail the use case but are crazy expensive. I even thought about a portable clothesline, but the retraction springs aren't very strong in those, there more designed for lockout strength so you can hang stuff on the outstretched line.

So - any good ideas?

Tool balancer - https://www.ergonomicpartners.com/tool-balancers

$47

[capnamerca 572]

2 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you couldn't use regular EV cords on a reel because of the heat generated 

Yeah. I don't want to put the cord on a reel. I want it to drape on the ceiling, and just pull it down to the car when I need it.

[capnamerca 572]

1 hour ago, washparkhorn said:

Tool balancer - https://www.ergonomicpartners.com/tool-balancers

$47

Oh damn ... I like this. Thanks!

Edit: Dang, the cheap one you linked only has a half-meter of cable. I need ~3 (10' ceilings).

Edited July 8, 2020 by capnamerca

[washparkhorn 9939]

https://www.mcmaster.com/spring-balancers/retractors/

4 feet of travel - $16. 

or

6.5 feet of travel - (more weight capacity) - $40

https://www.mcmaster.com/spring-balancers/counterbalancers-6/

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by washparkhorn

[Bevo&Pevo 5220]

Back in.

[HRSchenker 2274]

7 hours ago, capnamerca said:

Ok home DIY and problem solvers, help me out.

We got an electric car, and are putting a big charger in the garage. We park the car towards the middle of the garage, so the charger is going on the back wall. I want to swage the power cable across the ceiling so it doesn't drape across the middle of the garage every time we plug in the car. What I want is a way to have the plug readily available near the back of the car, but up out of the way. I'd like to get/find some sort of cable reel, or industrial pulley, or even just a soft spring of some sort, so that the cable lives/stays on the ceiling, but I can just reach up, grab it, pull it down and plug it in.

I'd also prefer to NOT spend >$40 or so. I've found the extension cord retractors at HD - that would do the job, but seems like a waste. I looked at lifeline / harnesses for high-wire workers, which would nail the use case but are crazy expensive. I even thought about a portable clothesline, but the retraction springs aren't very strong in those, there more designed for lockout strength so you can hang stuff on the outstretched line.

So - any good ideas?

Is that where your power panel is located? 

[capnamerca 572]

14 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Is that where your power panel is located? 

For various reasons, moving the car to park in a different section of the garage isn't our preferred option. The main breaker box is on the outside wall of the garage, so the charger could go anywhere along one wall, or anywhere along the back wall. We've thought it through and this is the preferred solution, taking everything into account.

[capnamerca 572]

1 hour ago, Bevo&Pevo said:

Back in.

We do.

[capnamerca 572]

1 hour ago, washparkhorn said:

https://www.mcmaster.com/spring-balancers/retractors/

4 feet of travel - $16. 

or

6.5 feet of travel - (more weight capacity) - $40

https://www.mcmaster.com/spring-balancers/counterbalancers-6/

 

Respectfully, I think you're misreading that webpage. The second one you posted is ~$230.

That said, this is still the winning idea. I'm currently leaning towards this one from amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Reelcraft-TB-05-Tool-Balancer-5-Pound/dp/B002CVTKK6?th=1.

[Bevo&Pevo 5220]

54 minutes ago, capnamerca said:

We do.

well shit then.  Would it be possible to use some type of counter weighted system with a pulley or two and a counter weight placed in the appropriate spot on the cord?  When not needed the counter weight would keep the plug pulled up and vice versa.

[Sam Lin 3561]

How about the most basic solution, just a hanging hook for the plug off to the side? See engineering drawing:

[hornian 5223]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:41 PM, capnamerca said:

Respectfully, I think you're misreading that webpage. The second one you posted is ~$230.

That said, this is still the winning idea. I'm currently leaning towards this one from amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Reelcraft-TB-05-Tool-Balancer-5-Pound/dp/B002CVTKK6?th=1.

Have you used this? Have a similar problem in new garage. 

[capnamerca 572]

I ended up not needing it, as the charging is fast enough to complete overnight so I can put the cable away if I'm working in the garage during the day. However, I was going to explore something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Key-Bak-Pro-ToolMate-herramientas-certificado/dp/B077GJ1HS9/ref=pd_bxgy_2/144-8386895-3575355?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B077GJ1HS9&pd_rd_r=50495c1a-3208-4b71-8d7b-211b22b9552a&pd_rd_w=C4eFY&pd_rd_wg=WwsQg&pf_rd_p=ce6c479b-ef53-49a6-845b-bbbf35c28dd3&pf_rd_r=Q97D8HJAD86GGC3F6PRS&psc=1&refRID=Q97D8HJAD86GGC3F6PRS. 

 

[Alex Karev 1031]

Just buy a diesel and say fuck it.