Apparently all of them do, and it only happens on hot days when I have the radio, fan, dust collector, air compressor and what ever tool pushes the 15 amp circuit past it's limit on at the same time. Typically it only happens when the compressor decides to cycle with all this other stuff running. Have fewer of them on in any combination and it does not happen at all. It use to be that cutting a thick board on my smaller TS would do the trick. So it is certainly a load thing.
On 05 Jul 2010 05:09:29 GMT, Puckdropper wrote the following:
An outdoor pump should have a hardwired timer which can handle a higher amperage than any plug-in style.
Ask the electrician. He probably has one in the truck with him or can bring one.
-- It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now, with its aches and its pleasures, is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive. -- Pema Chodron
On Sun, 4 Jul 2010 22:53:38 -0700, "Lew Hodgett" wrote the following:
INDUCTIVE-rated horsies!
-- It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now, with its aches and its pleasures, is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive. -- Pema Chodron
On 05 Jul 2010 08:55:13 GMT, Puckdropper wrote the following:
There ya go! Perfect.
-- It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now, with its aches and its pleasures, is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive. -- Pema Chodron
Is it the GFCI or the breaker that is tripping?
There's a good chance that if it's done that as much as this one has it is no longer providing ground fault protection at all.
When you replace it look for one with "smartlock" which won't allow a reset if the receptacle is not functioning as designed. Hospital grade all have that now, IIRC ... spendy, but worth the price for those areas where you really need gfci protection.
A motor load like a compressor can trip a GFCI. If you get something with a leading or lagging current the device can detect the difference between legs.
Mike M
I believe the compressor coming on indeed is when the GFCI trips. Typically I try to turn the compressor off if I am going to be running much at the same time.
It happens probably once each summer if I am not careful with the loads and if the day is HOT enough. More heat, more fans running. ;~)
The test button still makes it trip instantly.
I'll look into the smartlock one if I have any pressing problems.
That's still leakage but if so, replace the GFCI. Older ones had this issue but it's been fixed with more recent units.
If that's the case it's not the GFCI tripping, rather the OC device tripping (may be the same).
Sounds like an over-current trip.
42
i thought it was between the neutral and ground? shelly
Sorry but a GFCI breaker only detects differences between current in the hot and neutral.
Phase angle and waveform distortion cannot and donnot cause a GFI or GFCI breaker to detect faults to ground. What is detected in one leg is the same detection circuit in the other leg of the wiring because it is the same sensing mechanism.
Inductive (motors and coil) loads starting or stopping can give high voltage kicks (high voltage spikes) and one side is tied to ground via the street transformer and other loads to neutral in different locations / circuits in your house. The other line (neutral usually) of the device acting up gets a high voltage spike that can punch through insulation weak spots and trip the GFI detection circuit. Drywaller's routers nick the insulation on wiring inside metal boxes and dust (where would that be in a woodshop?) combined with moisture (humid weather lately?) bring out the best in our wiring integrity.
.
Nope. Hot and neutral. If there is an imbalance between the hot and the neutral, there is current going somewhere it shouldn't. This imbalance can be measured very accurately and the circuit "interrupted".
32442
but the gfci should also monitor (and cut out on) any current flow at all between the hot and ground - hence the term ground fault - or am i completely mistaken?
shelly
Not quite. Any current that "gazintas" the hot and doesn't "gazouta" the neutral must be "flowing" through a fault to ground, hence the "ground fault". So yes, if you have a fault from the hot to the ground the GFCI will trip, but not because there is current in the ground, rather because the current in the neutral doesn't match, rather precisely, the current in the hot. Of course this is AC, so I'm playing very loose with the highly technical terms, "gazinta" and "gazouta". ;-)
A ground isn't even necessary for a GFCI to work properly. In fact, one of the important uses for GFCIs is a substitution for the safety ground in existing structures that have no safety ground. It's not a replacement because there is no connection to the ground pin but it will protect in the case of a fault.
No need to monitor current flow between hot and ground. If current flow between hot and neutral is not equal then it is going somewhere it shoud NOT.
Hence a GFCI works with no metal ground wire in the set up.
If the currents are not equal then TURN OFF.
Simple.
Of course there are various sensitivities for various purposes and in different juristictions.
Some trip at 5ma and some at 30ma and I am sure there are others.
John G.
Correct, but mostly only affects the GFI outlet. Bigger demands will generelly trip the circuit breaker.
32442
thx for the info!!! shelly
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