GFCI Circuit Breaker

Topic: GFCI Circuit Breaker (Read 1145 times) previous topic - next topic

GFCI Circuit Breaker

August 27, 2018, 01:51:40 pm

I realize that usually the GFCI circuit breaker is located in the bathroom.. Not on my 270.. I have been in every cabinet from top to bottom and every inch of the walls.. I left there and went from the bedroom to the front of the coach and have found no receptacle circuit breaker. I don't know that I have an issue because the only plug in's I have used are in the kitchen. Without a circuit breaker it has me skeptical of trying my other receptacle's, I do not like being shocked even a little. Maybe someone could give me just a clue.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #1 – August 27, 2018, 01:57:49 pm

I would try the other outlets (they won't shock you if you've got a tripped GFI). Tracing the one's that are dead might lead you to the 'Mystery GFI outlet'.

In our coach, the GFI is in the bathroom, but painted black, so it took me a while to realize where it was! GFIs do wear out, and I've seen them in garages where someone stored crap in front and tripped the GFI!

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #2 – August 27, 2018, 02:12:09 pm

Beam alarm says they are all in the bathroom.. if this one is she is hid pretty darn well, black or white. I will plug something in to all my receptacles but if there is an issue, no breaker to reset.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #3 – August 27, 2018, 02:24:15 pm

On mine, there is a plug in the storage bay and another on the exterior passenger side wall that are both on the bathroom GFCI circuit. Someone could have moved it to one of those for some reason.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #4 – August 27, 2018, 02:51:18 pm

Quote from: Dub – August 27, 2018, 02:12:09 pm

Beam alarm says they are all in the bathroom.. if this one is she is hid pretty darn well, black or white. I will plug something in to all my receptacles but if there is an issue, no breaker to reset.

The receptacle is all brown and really hard to spot to the right of the sink even though it's right in front of you. Took me about an hour of searching.

Pierce

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #5 – August 27, 2018, 02:57:24 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – August 27, 2018, 02:51:18 pm

The receptacle is all brown and really hard to spot to the right of the sink even though it's right in front of you. Took me about an hour of searching.

If you're sitting on the John, there it is, on the right.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #6 – August 27, 2018, 03:41:34 pm

It sounds like you don't have any non-functional outlets that you know of right now. You are just trying to find the gfi outlet in case you need to reset it?

You may not have one. A Previous Owner may have removed and replaced with a regular outlet. In which case, you should find out where it was and put in a new one.

You can buy a small plug-in tester at Lowes that will tell you if an outlet is wired correctly and also test to see If the circuit is gfi protected. I just tried mine and it will not trip a regular breaker, only a gfi protection device. If you do use it, you may be able to hear the gfi pop when you push the tester button.

You can also put gfi breakers directly in your breaker box to protect an entire circuit but they are more expensive than gfi outlets which do the sme job but only protect the outlets downstream from them.

Rich

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #7 – August 27, 2018, 04:02:16 pm

Quote from: bdale – August 27, 2018, 02:24:15 pm

On mine, there is a plug in the storage bay and another on the exterior passenger side wall that are both on the bathroom GFCI circuit. Someone could have moved it to one of those for some reason.

Will check those plugs...
After checking them I don't have any non functioning outlets Rich and if I don't find this booger I will install one.
I have doubt's of mine being in the bath Pierce but again I will get on all 4's with a flash light and go over it again.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #8 – August 27, 2018, 04:34:41 pm

Quote from: Dub – August 27, 2018, 04:02:16 pm

Will check those plugs...
After checking them I don't have any non functioning outlets Rich and if I don't find this booger I will install one.
I have doubt's of mine being in the bath Pierce but again I will get on all 4's with a flash light and go over it again.

No need to get on all fours. It's waist high to the right of the sink. Probably most used as a hair dryer or electric razor outlet.

Pierce

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #9 – August 27, 2018, 05:05:39 pm

Dub,

If a P/O removed the OEM GFCI receptacle that was in the bathroom vanity and replaced it with a standard receptacle I will be a lot easier to just install a GFCI breaker in the breaker box at the foot of the bed. In fact look in your breaker box and see if that circuit breaker that feeds the bath has been changed out already. The rest of the outside plugs usually are trained off this one receptacle.

Mike

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #10 – August 27, 2018, 05:38:29 pm

Why do you need a GFI? It's code to install one near a sink but that doesn't mean you HAVE to have one. The breaker is for THAT OUTLET only. The only reason other receptacles go out when the GFI trips is because that's how the wiring goes. Several outlets are tethered. You'll notice that only a few outlets go out when it trips. So.........that means the rest of the outlets have no GFI. ALL circuits are safe guarded by the 15 amp breakers in the big box. Your PO probably got rid of it because they become weak over time and trip who knows why. I took mine out. Again.......this is just my opinion.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #11 – August 27, 2018, 05:45:29 pm

I replace my garage wall mounted GFI every other year as thats where our 2nd refrigerator is connected. With the constant cycling of the refrigerator compressor they do not last. Had one surprise when I came home from a 3 week vacation, do not want another. Also where I store my coach had a GFI that kept tripping...Took it out and no more problems.

John

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #12 – August 27, 2018, 08:03:28 pm

Quote from: John and Stacey – August 27, 2018, 05:45:29 pm

With the constant cycling of the refrigerator compressor they do not last. Had one surprise when I came home from a 3 week vacation, do not want another. Also where I store my coach had a GFI that kept tripping...Took it out and no more problems

That's not a good idea to pull ANY GFI, you're looking for trouble, trust me. The most common failure (besides wearing out, like us), is too much demand on the circuit. Garages are the worst case: you've got a freezer, a garage door opener, a irrigation controller, and who knows what more. When you get start-up, it's a huge draw, and the GFI does it's job: trips. Water and electricity do not get along, and without a GFI, you'll be the first to know.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #13 – August 27, 2018, 08:28:18 pm

When GFI's were required:
1971 Receptacles within 15 feet of pool walls
1971 All equipment used with storable swimming pools
1973 All outdoor receptacles
1974 Construction Sites
1975 Bathrooms, 120-volt pool lights, and fountain equipment
1978 Garages, spas, and hydromassage tubs
1978 Outdoor receptacles above 6ft.6in. grade access exempted
1984 Replacement of non-grounding receptacles with no grounding conductor allowed
1984 Pool cover motors
1984 Distance of GFCI protection extended to 20 feet from pool walls
1987 Unfinished basements
1987 Kitchen countertop receptacles within 6 feet of sink
1987 Boathouses
1990 Crawlspaces (with exception for sump pumps or other dedicated equip.)
1993 Wet bar countertops within 6 feet of sink
1993 Any receptacle replaced in an area presently requiring GFCI
1996 All kitchen counters – not just those within 6 feet of sink
1996 All exterior receptacles except dedicated de-icing tape receptacle
1996 Unfinished accessory buildings at or below grade
1999 Exemption for dedicated equipment in crawlspace removed

Since all my houses have been old, never had a GFI. I have heard that certain refrigerators, will trip a GFI. I had an inverter with a gfi and it tripped on my Samsung. Replaced it with regular receptacle and had no more problems. But having a gfi or grounded type plug is safer for many cases.
An overload on any circuit should trip the breaker in the distribution panel, not sure a gfi will trip because of normal high current draw.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #14 – August 27, 2018, 08:36:52 pm

I'll let the experts have the say on the load issue. My understanding is only a short to ground would trip the GFI load shouldn't.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #15 – August 27, 2018, 08:47:42 pm

My understanding is that a GFCI outlet is designed to protect your life. It was not designed to protect against a circuit overload:

A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. The GFCI senses a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second. That's a key specification, because at around 10 milliamps, human muscles "freeze" from electrical overload, meaning that you're unable to let go of an object that's causing a shock; just two seconds at that level of current can cause death [source: ELCOSH].

Please be careful out there.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #16 – August 27, 2018, 08:48:52 pm

I used GFI breakers in an old house we own on Cape Cod and there was one that would trip under load, when the both the refrigerator
and microwave were on.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #17 – August 27, 2018, 08:59:38 pm

Quote from: Travelin' Man – August 27, 2018, 08:48:52 pm

I used GFI breakers in an old house we own on Cape Cod and there was one that would trip under load, when the both the refrigerator
and microwave were on.

T-Man, you are absolutely correct, but the primary reason for the GFCI is to protect human life. As stated earlier by several folks they get old and weak and will trip when they shouldn't. I would consider replacing old GFCI outlets as a routine maintenance item.

Here is a very good source of info regarding RV electrical safety: RV Safety | No~Shock~Zone

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #18 – August 27, 2018, 09:07:04 pm

Does a GFCI receptacle provide overcurrent protection? - Home Improvement...
Think this answers it: GFI's, except when in distribution panel do not offer overcurrent protection.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #19 – August 27, 2018, 09:09:11 pm

2017 nec all gfci no exceptions in a garage, shop, or coach house at all.
Outlet 16' up on the ceiling or dedicated for a garage door operator no go.
Dedicated Outlet for fridge or anything else no go.
Outlet 44' from door no go.
Ask me why I am going to do my own?

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #20 – August 27, 2018, 09:15:13 pm

If you are wired for 20 amp receptacles, note how much better they are made. It takes a bit of effort to plug something in one. They grip the "prongs" better so there is less chance of resistance heat buildup when drawing a lot of current.

Pierce

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #21 – August 27, 2018, 09:29:25 pm

Per local code all devices in a garage or shop get 20 amp circuits and outlets, even the led Luminares (lights) no exceptions. This is known as crazy stupid.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #22 – August 27, 2018, 09:53:28 pm

Quote from: jcus – August 27, 2018, 08:28:18 pm

When GFI's were required: But haviAn overload on any circuit should trip the breaker in the distribution panel, not sure a gfi will trip because of normal high current draw.

A overload will trip a older GFI, and NOT crawl through and trip the breaker. The load is one of the big deals; any electric motor is going to draw like heck upon start-up, you get two starting at once and the GFI will trip, seen it a million times. So, it's almost like a GFI should be replaced often if a big load is on the circuit: electricians & HOs are infamous for just adding to a 15/20 amp circuit, on and on. In my homebuilding days, I'd make sure we had not only GFIs for high use/wet areas, but have the sparkies give me dedicated GFI protected circuits for future use. 15/20 amps is nothing, it's easy to overload them. Same with coaches, you add this and that to the 15/20 amp circuit without adding up the draw with everything on at once, and 'Ka blewie'.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #23 – August 27, 2018, 09:56:53 pm

A gfi outlet protects all outlets downstream from it. On my coach the gfi outlet is in the bathroom (the only outlet there). The kitchen outlets, basement outlets, and outside outlet are all protected by that one gfi. I had to replace it recently, and the new outlet came with a sheet of stickers to put on each protected outlet. I have one of those testers that Rich mentioned. After the new outlet was installed and tested, I had Jo Ann stay by the outlet while I went around tripping it with the tester. Each outlet that tripped got a sticker.

GFI breakers are usually marked in some way to indicate that they are GFI. Might be a different color handle or GFI on the handle.

As the name implies, Ground Fault Interrupter, they are designed to trip whenever there is any current flowing from hot to ground. They do require a ground to work. In fact, earlier this year I was with a guy who tried to put one in on an old, two-wire system (no ground). After figuring out which dirty wire was the hot and which was the neutral, then getting enough wire out of the box so he could actually attach it out in the open, then convincing everything to go back into the too-small box, it wouldn't work. The little elves inside the GFI noticed that there was no ground wire and wouldn't let any current pass. Smart little critters.

Re: GFCI Circuit Breaker

Reply #24 – August 27, 2018, 10:08:29 pm

Quote from: mike leary – August 27, 2018, 09:53:28 pm

A overload will trip a older GFI, and NOT crawl through and trip the breaker. The load is one of the big deals; any electric motor is going to draw like heck upon start-up, you get two starting at once and the GFI will trip, seen it a million times. So, it's almost like a GFI should be replaced often if a big load is on the circuit: electricians & HOs are infamous for just adding to a 15/20 amp circuit, on and on. In my homebuilding days, I'd make sure we had not only GFIs for high use/wet areas, but have the sparkies give me dedicated GFI protected circuits for future use. 15/20 amps is nothing, it's easy to overload them. Same with coaches, you add this and that to the 15/20 amp circuit without adding up the draw with everything on at once, and 'Ka blewie'.

Mike looking at a GFI diagram. and see why current from hot to neutral will trip a GFI, but see no way it could trip if no current from hot to neutral. Can you explain?

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