30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Topic: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping (Read 1713 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #25 – July 24, 2025, 09:33:41 pm

Quote from: turbojack – July 24, 2025, 11:45:12 am

Pulling the breaker does not eliminate the inverter as the problem. Removing the hot and white wire from the panel will remove the inverter complete from the system. The inverter should only be combining the neutral and ground when it is inverting on the load side. The line side should stay separate.

That sounds logical, but I may wait on that until I get somewhere more permanent later this year. I don't want to get into that much while I am here--unless I find that more campgrounds in Canada have ground fault receptacles. We will be in Canada until the middle of September.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #26 – July 24, 2025, 11:42:35 pm

Something is confusing, I thought you had previously said pedestal GFCI does not trip when transfer switch closes. And that it does trip when main breaker is closed.
Did I just read "The fact the breaker doesn't trip until the transfer switch kicks in". If so, you have your problem identified. Why look elsewhere. . .

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #27 – July 25, 2025, 09:19:02 am

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – July 24, 2025, 11:42:35 pm

Did I just read "The fact the breaker doesn't trip until the transfer switch kicks in". If so, you have your problem identified. Why look elsewhere. . .

Barry, problem could also be past the Transfer switch since once the transfer switch closes, it then connects the main panel where there could be a connection between neutral and ground.

dbennett9 When you open the panel also check and make sure there is not a green screw in the neutral bar.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #28 – July 26, 2025, 03:59:48 pm

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – July 24, 2025, 11:42:35 pm

Something is confusing, I thought you had previously said pedestal GFCI does not trip when transfer switch closes. And that it does trip when main breaker is closed.
Did I just read "The fact the breaker doesn't trip until the transfer switch kicks in". If so, you have your problem identified. Why look elsewhere. . .

The way I worded that was unclear. When I said that the breaker doesn't trip until the transfer switch kicks in, I was responding to whether the problem might be in the pedestal, 30A adapter, or cord--basically, anything external to the coach. To be more precise, I should have said that, with the main breaker in the coach on, the ground fault does not trip until the transfer switch kicks in. That, to me, indicates the problem cannot be before the transfer switch. If the main breaker is off, the ground fault does not trip when the transfer switch kicks in; in that situation, it does not trip until the main breaker is switched on.

I have also, I believe, determined that the problem is not the inverter. I disconnected the ground wire from the main breaker box to the inverter as well as the ground wire from the inverter to chassis ground. The GFCI still trips the same as before.

While I had the breaker box open, I also checked for continuity between the ground bar and the neutral bar and got nothing, which leaves me even more confused than before.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #29 – July 26, 2025, 05:10:18 pm

When you are turning the main breaker on and gfi trips are the other breakers in the panel on or off?

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #30 – July 26, 2025, 05:40:08 pm

I never had an issue with a GFI breaker till I installed my Victron inverter. Now it trips even on a 110 volt gfi. It would need to be disconnected from the circuit to use a GFI. I was so excited to have all its benefits. Very dissatisfied with my purchase at this point. Also had to disconnect the R2 circuit from the generator because it sees two legs of R1 and wont allow the second leg of R1 to pass through to the R2 leg as Foretravel originally designed it to do. So being wicked smart it creates a true R2 from R1 and overloads the generator.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #31 – July 26, 2025, 08:44:02 pm

GFCI will trip if there is about a millivolt different between black/red hot and white neutral for as short as millisecond. Neutral is not switched. Could replacing main breaker help?

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #32 – July 26, 2025, 09:05:42 pm

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – July 26, 2025, 08:44:02 pm

GFCI will trip if there is about a millivolt different between black/red hot and white neutral for as short as millisecond. Neutral is not switched. Could replacing main breaker help?

Main breaker is not the problem.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #33 – July 26, 2025, 11:09:42 pm

Quote from: turbojack – July 26, 2025, 05:10:18 pm

When you are turning the main breaker on and gfi trips are the other breakers in the panel on or off?

It trips whether the other breakers are on or off. It even tripped when I had all the other breakers in the main panel pulled and the main breaker in the second panel pulled.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #34 – July 27, 2025, 12:12:44 am

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – July 26, 2025, 08:44:02 pm

GFCI will trip if there is about a millivolt different between black/red hot and white neutral for as short as millisecond. Neutral is not switched. Could replacing main breaker help?

So it's a little more. on a 110 volt circuit you have a hot and neutral. The power goes and returns on these two legs. The third ground wire is only for your protection by signaling the GFI tripping open if any power is returning through the ground circuit. That is what the GFI/GFIC is looking for. Power from the hot or the neutral going to ground should trip the ground fault protection. On a two leg circuit you are looking for the same problem of the power wires leaking power to the ground circuit. 220 circuits will have power hot on both the red and back circuits at 220 volts R1 and R2. You also will have 115 volts across either to the neutral circuit. You also will have 115 volts to ground but should not carry any load because of the GFI protection. Grounds and neutrals are tied together in the circuit breaker panel feeding the pedestal (not in the coach) and in Nevada the ground is direct buried in the dirt but not attached to the transformer from the panel. So if you are grounded in the mud and touch a ground fault Interupted circuit you will get shocked but the power will immediately shut off. No GFI and you will cook. So if your coach has a neutral and a ground tied together it will return power to ground and trip the GFI. Ground and Neutral must stay separated in the coach or the GFI will trip

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #35 – July 27, 2025, 12:16:08 am

Quote from: dbennett9 – July 26, 2025, 11:09:42 pm

It trips whether the other breakers are on or off. It even tripped when I had all the other breakers in the main panel pulled and the main breaker in the second panel pulled.

Post 34 should explained if you neutral and your ground are connected in your coach the GFI will trip

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #36 – July 27, 2025, 08:26:55 am

Did you do test that i have in post 18, second paragraph?

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #37 – July 27, 2025, 11:51:56 pm

Quote from: dsd – July 27, 2025, 12:16:08 am

Post 34 should explained if you neutral and your ground are connected in your coach the GFI will trip

I agree, but I can't find any evidence they are connected. I haven't found a connection by visually inspecting the circuit breaker boxes, and when I checked for continuity between neutral and ground I got nothing.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #38 – July 27, 2025, 11:57:46 pm

Quote from: turbojack – July 27, 2025, 08:26:55 am

Did you do test that i have in post 18, second paragraph?

The technician the park sent out tested the 110 ground fault by plugging in and running a circular saw. It didn't trip the breaker. Also, I have had this issue before at a couple of state parks in Illinois (apparently someone there decided they should have GFCI breakers). At one of those parks I tried two different pedestals. It isn't likely that every one of those breakers is bad or wired incorrectly.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #39 – July 28, 2025, 01:23:31 pm

Quote from: dbennett9 – July 27, 2025, 11:51:56 pm

I agree, but I can't find any evidence they are connected. I haven't found a connection by visually inspecting the circuit breaker boxes, and when I checked for continuity between neutral and ground I got nothing.

Where did you measure neutral to ground continuity and how did you measure it, i.e. what type of meter?

The typical GFCI trip current is 5 ma or .005 amps. This would be a resistance of about 24,000 ohms or less between neutral or hot to ground - measure both. If you see a resistance like this then we need to find it.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #40 – July 28, 2025, 11:21:39 pm

Quote from: prfleming – July 28, 2025, 01:23:31 pm

Where did you measure neutral to ground continuity and how did you measure it, i.e. what type of meter?

The typical GFCI trip current is 5 ma or .005 amps. This would be a resistance of about 24,000 ohms or less between neutral or hot to ground - measure both. If you see a resistance like this then we need to find it.

I used a digital multimeter and it showed an open circuit—no reading. It is possible the meter is not accurate, but it is all I have.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #41 – July 29, 2025, 12:15:49 am

A better meter would be a high quality analog meter but use what you have.

Where the measurement is taken may make a difference. With all breakers closed attach the shore cable with 50 amp to 30 amp adapter and then measure resistance of both hot and neutral to ground at the 30 amp plug terminals.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #42 – July 29, 2025, 08:19:48 am

Quote from: prfleming – July 29, 2025, 12:15:49 am

A better meter would be a high quality analog meter but use what you have.

Where the measurement is taken may make a difference. With all breakers closed attach the shore cable with 50 amp to 30 amp adapter and then measure resistance of both hot and neutral to ground at the 30 amp plug terminals.

If I understand this procure, with no power, the transfer switch will be open and test will only test up to transfer switch

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #43 – July 29, 2025, 09:13:29 am

Yes, process of elimination. Then with all breakers closed test after the transfer relay. Hoping at some point we can get a resistance reading to track down.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #44 – July 29, 2025, 11:23:03 am

Ok, I agreed.

Since only continuity tester was used we don't know the ohms where continuity tester says open or closed.

If I get some time today or next few days I will make a trouble shooting list for finding the problem.

I helped a guy on irv2 with gfci tripping problem and last I heard from him was we were thinking that 2 circuits had leakage. Neither one had enough to trip Gfci but together it was over the limit. Took him a while since Gfci would not trip right away when he applied power.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #45 – July 29, 2025, 11:17:47 pm

Quote from: prfleming – July 29, 2025, 12:15:49 am

A better meter would be a high quality analog meter but use what you have.

Where the measurement is taken may make a difference. With all breakers closed attach the shore cable with 50 amp to 30 amp adapter and then measure resistance of both hot and neutral to ground at the 30 amp plug terminals.

We will be moving tomorrow, so I will check either before we leave or after we get to the next location. Hopefully not every park in Canada uses ground fault breakers.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #46 – July 30, 2025, 12:28:29 pm

Disconnect the neutral for the inverter and see if your problem disappears. Leave the breaker open Also can disconnect the other neutrals to isolate. Just one neutral will corrupt the GFI. it will effect all the neutral circuits till removed even with breakers open. Just wait till it's mandatory to have arc fault breakers they are very safe, but way too smart for us.

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #47 – July 30, 2025, 09:12:39 pm

I have been curious to isolate more.

If you leave main panel breaker off, with pedestal on for hours after transfer switch clicks on, will pedestal GFCI continue to work. (trying to eliminate transfer switch) Alternate removing black & red #6 wire into main breaker, close after each test. (trying to isolate if main breaker will trip GFCI with only one wire connected.)

Re: 30A GFCI on Pedestal Tripping

Reply #48 – August 01, 2025, 08:21:14 am

I have been following your tread :
Assuming everything was working properly at a previous time and no changes were made to the wiring or installed equipment, then the factory installed wiring connections must be correct.
To check the wiring turn off every breaker in the panel and the inverter, the salesman disconnect at the steps, plug in the coach if it trips look at the power cord/ reel.
If nothing trips plug in the power cord, then turn on one circuit breaker at a time, at some point the GFCI will trip, the if the tripped circuit should be looked at, unplugging any connected item including possibly refrigerator or components in the basement and engine bay until the GFCI stops tripping, and you will have found your issue.
It only takes one fault to cause an issue.
Without isolating the issue you are looking for a needle in a hay stack,
Focus on narrowing down the search, take your time and methodical,
Good luck, an electrical fault can be so annoying!

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