Running my EV charger through the garage window — how do I keep water/pests out?
Old detached garage, only GFCI outlet is on the outside wall around back, nowhere close to a spot I could realistically run conduit to reach the Bolt where it actually parks. Only workable path I've found is running the charging cord through the side window, cracked open maybe an inch and a half.
Portland winters mean rain basically nonstop from November through March, so I want to do this right instead of just closing the window on the cord and hoping. I've seen people mention foam weatherstripping, split rubber gasket tubing, even people cutting a notch in a piece of plywood to seal the gap. Also worried about mice getting in through whatever gap is left, we've had them in the garage before. What's actually held up through a real wet-climate winter and not just looked fine in a photo from a dry state?
Filed under: Portable & No-Install Charging
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8 answers
8 ANSWERS
@gravelfox88August 01, 2026
Split rubber tubing, the kind sold for running wire through walls, wrapped around the cord and wedged in the window gap does two things at once, seals against water and gives pests nothing to squeeze past since the cord's the only opening and it's fully surrounded. A cut foam pool noodle works in a pinch but it degrades faster outdoors.
That's basically the setup I was leaning toward, good to hear it holds up long term and isn't just a temporary fix.
@hutchridesJuly 28, 2026
Add a drip loop in the cord outside the window no matter what seal you use, let the cord dip down before it comes back up to the window opening so water runs off the low point instead of following the cord straight into the gap.
@misty_waffleAugust 02, 2026
The 'weatherproof' label on some of these portables is doing a lot of work by the way, check if it's actually rated for the plug end sitting outside in rain or just splash-resistant while in use. Big difference in a place that gets real sustained rain.
This is exactly the kind of vague spec language that gets me, half the listings just say 'weatherproof' with no IP rating attached at all.
@picklewindowJuly 27, 2026
We did something similar in Seattle, used a piece of thin closed-cell foam cut to the exact window gap width with a slit down the middle for the cord to pass through, snug enough that nothing wiggles it loose, cheap enough to replace yearly if it gets gross.
@tinycabinetJuly 27, 2026
mice getting in worries me too, same setup here
@gravelfox88July 24, 2026
One more thing, don't fully close the window tight against the cord, leave a hair of gap so you're not pinching or crimping the cable jacket over years of use, that degrades the insulation faster than the weather does.
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