Bad GFI?

[R Rockwell]

A GFI circuit in my kitchen was recently tripped when the coffee maker and toaster were used at the same time (I'm assuming this was the cause). Since then I have tried to reset the circuit with limited sucess. I got the circuit to work a few times (holding the reset button for 1-2 minutes until the light went out) but it will blow out again if only one small electrical appliance was used. Could this be a case where the GFI outlet is bad and just needs replaced or is there some other cause I might be missing. The circuit in the electrical box does not trip. Thanks for any help.

[propman]

"R Rockwell" wrote in news:452da792$0$13687$ [e-mail]:

Shouldn't have to hold it that long........

GFI's not only provide over amperage protection but also current leakage protection....if it keeps blowing while plugging the same appliance into it then the appliance becomes suspect. If on the other hand it keeps blowing while plugging in various appliances (one at a time), then the GFI and/or the wiring connected to it becomes suspect. If it blows when nothing is plugged into it, then that more than likely indicates a moisture problem.

Check out the following web page for a GFI tutorial:

[glenn P]

It seems unlikely that your toaster or coffee maker would have ground currents occurring apart from your good self, and aren't normally considered GFI troublemakers. The most common problem machines are ones with motors, or big capacitors.

Try using another combination of appliances?

[buffalobill]

[buffalobill]

[trader4]

Are you sure about that? The breaker type that go into a panel provide both, but I thought the outlet type only tripped on ground faults. The amp rating on those was just the amount of current it could safely handle, like any other outlet.

.if it keeps blowing while plugging the same appliance into it

[RBM]

Sounds like the outlet went bad. The high current being pulled through it from the two appliances, over time probably just fried it. GFCI outlets have no over current protection, so that wouldn't have tripped it, and if the two appliances work in other GFCI outlets, they don't have ground faults. That plus the fact that it took a while to get it to reset, which is not normal... Replace it

[propman]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Mea culpa.....badly worded on my part. Yes you are quite correct and thanks for pointing that out. :-)

[Mark Lloyd]

I had a GFI damaged by moisture. The moisture inside ants and their feces.

[Tom The Great]

IMHO:

I've never heard of hold the reset for 1-2 mins. You might have a defective GFCI. Does the coffee maker and toaster trip any other GFCI protected circuits?

Note: GFCI's are designed to protect you, so defeating, or working around a tripping one can be dangerous.

later,

tom @