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Old 11-17-2014, 10:23 PM   #1
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GFCI Plug Won't Reset

We've had a few problems on our cross-country trip. The latest is that we had a space heater running when my wife used the blow dryer on high to dry her hair. This tripped the GFCI breaker on that line. We unplugged the dryer and I pressed the reset button on the GFCI plug, but it won't click off to reset. Now, all plugs on that line are dead! Any ideas of a possible quick fix that I'm missing?
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Old 11-17-2014, 10:47 PM   #2
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The GFCI outlet 'trips' for a unsafe ground fault rather than a current overload. A current overload should trip the relevant breaker in the 120V load center.

You can take a look at the Body, 110 Volt Wiring Diagram for your coach to see which circuit breaker controls the circuit in question. According to the 110 Volt Load Center/Auto Transfer Switch for your coach there are three 15A circuit breakers (labelled RECPS 1, RECPS 2, and RECPS 3) in the inverter sub-panel, so it should be one of those. Note that a tripped breaker may not be obvious, so turn the breakers off and then back on to reset them.
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:27 PM   #3
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Fill out your signature information so that maybe you can get better help with your problem.
Also as stated, on those breakers, shut each one off one by one. You may find that one actually tripped but not in the OFF position. Also check your inverter and make sure that it is off prior to resetting the GFCI and the other breakers.
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Old 11-18-2014, 05:26 AM   #4
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With a space heater and the hair dryer you tripped a circuit breaker, not (I hope) the GFCI, though it may have tripped at the same time.

With the circuit breaker tripped the GFCI will not reset.

IN addition, (though I doubt this) that much load can burn connections, I have seen wire nutted connections melt with heavy loads, I do not think this happened in your case though cause the load was not there long enough to melt the nut, However it is possible.

If you have an inverter, the circuit breaker that is tripped may be on/in the inverter, also the connections in the inverter's connection box are among the connection suspects.

Suggestion: I have had problems, as have others, with standard RV punch down type outlets and space heaters, they are really a bit anemic for that kind of load.. I wound up adding some outlets, these are 15/20 amp type (They have a "T" shaped neutral) they are fed with 12ga wire and each of them has it's very own breaker in the MAIN breaker box (not the inverter sub panel) so they do not go through the inverter. No problems with them at all. This is a 50 amp rig, one on each leg.
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Old 11-18-2014, 07:10 AM   #5
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Try pushing the OFF button first THEN push the ON button.

We had same problem and it seemed when it kicked off it doesn't go all the way to the off position. When we pushed the OFF button it clicked slightly THEN the ON button was pushed and all was well.

We looked all over for quite a while until we figured that out.

Now we know.
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Old 11-18-2014, 08:04 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lajuene View Post
Try pushing the OFF button first THEN push the ON button.

We had same problem and it seemed when it kicked off it doesn't go all the way to the off position. When we pushed the OFF button it clicked slightly THEN the ON button was pushed and all was well.

We looked all over for quite a while until we figured that out.

Now we know.

That! Is why this site is so amazing!
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Old 11-18-2014, 05:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RETLT View Post
We've had a few problems on our cross-country trip. The latest is that we had a space heater running when my wife used the blow dryer on high to dry her hair. This tripped the GFCI breaker on that line. We unplugged the dryer and I pressed the reset button on the GFCI plug, but it won't click off to reset. Now, all plugs on that line are dead! Any ideas of a possible quick fix that I'm missing?
I think it has all been said. I'll sum up the steps here. Unplug EVERYTHING you plugged in just to make certain you don't have a rouge device. Make certain your breakers are all set. Turn each one off and back on. Good maintenance procedure to do annually. Now find each of your GFCI's and test and reset each. Another good routine. If the one you are having trouble with does not reset shut off the breaker and remove the GFCI from the wall to inspect the connections. If you don't have a cheap volt meter get one. Turn the breaker on and carefully test the voltage across the black and white wire terminals. You should see 115VAC +/- 5V. If you don't see that you have trouble in the wiring or a bad breaker.

Let us know what you fine. As some one else stated, please post what your rig is in your signature. It will help us help you in a much better.

Rick Y
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Old 11-18-2014, 09:03 PM   #8
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If you've tried everything and still no fix it could simply be a bad GFCI receptacle. I've had to replace a handful of them in houses.
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Old 11-19-2014, 06:52 AM   #9
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If you've tried everything and still no fix it could simply be a bad GFCI receptacle. I've had to replace a handful of them in houses.
Good followup. I was afraid I was hitting the information overload wall. TMI will trip the brain breaker.
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Old 11-19-2014, 06:59 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ralphie View Post
If you've tried everything and still no fix it could simply be a bad GFCI receptacle. I've had to replace a handful of them in houses.

GFIs are notorious for failing; especially after being activated to trip. My guess is a bad GFI if you've checked the circuit breaker. Wouldn't an inverter-related issue affect all circuits and not just the one in question?

If you want a quick fix, you can jump the GFI wires until you get a new one.
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Old 11-19-2014, 08:32 AM   #11
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This happened to us. Check to see if your 110 volt power inverters built in circuit breaker has tripped.
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Old 11-19-2014, 09:01 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RETLT View Post
We've had a few problems on our cross-country trip. The latest is that we had a space heater running when my wife used the blow dryer on high to dry her hair. This tripped the GFCI breaker on that line. We unplugged the dryer and I pressed the reset button on the GFCI plug, but it won't click off to reset. Now, all plugs on that line are dead! Any ideas of a possible quick fix that I'm missing?
RETLT
I would guess that either the "GFCI receptacle has failed" or a that a "120VAC breaker has tripped"....... (a tripped breaker is most probable).

Some RVs have breakers that protect various receptacles BOTH IN the 120V panel and ON the inverter/charger.
(One of the 2 breakers on my inverter always trips when a hair dryer is "turned on" while a space heater is running).

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Old 11-19-2014, 09:23 AM   #13
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Easy ,quick fix, replace the GFCI.
Had to do mine at about 6 months !
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Old 11-19-2014, 09:32 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wa8yxm View Post
If you have an inverter, the circuit breaker that is tripped may be on/in the inverter.
I can almost guarantee that the above answer will correct your problem.

Find your inverter and you'll see two push button circuit breakers on it. Make sure both are "in" position.

Good luck

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Old 11-19-2014, 12:39 PM   #15
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Thank you all for your help. As stated earlier, this is a great site! It was one of the circuit breakers below the bed. All plugs are now working. I wish the fix on our dead microwave (earlier post) was that easy!

BTW, SuperGewl, I'm not sure what else I can put on my signature. I've got year, make, and model of our coach. I've now added the engine info. Anything else I need to list?
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Old 11-20-2014, 08:00 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RETLT View Post
Thank you all for your help. As stated earlier, this is a great site! It was one of the circuit breakers below the bed. All plugs are now working. I wish the fix on our dead microwave (earlier post) was that easy!

BTW, SuperGewl, I'm not sure what else I can put on my signature. I've got year, make, and model of our coach. I've now added the engine info. Anything else I need to list?
Allowing us to see your signature helped.

I had my microwave fail in my last coach. The problem turned out to be the receptical. It was fortunate that we did not have a fire. It was burned badly. Once I replaced it with a standard one all was well. The mobile home recepticals are not that great. Very cheaply desigend but leagal to use without a box.
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Old 11-20-2014, 10:25 AM   #17
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I will say this to the O/P.. You made it easy for us to figure out it was a tripped circuit breaker.. You described the symptoms (GFCI WILL NOT RESET) which it will not do with out power, which comes (normally) Via the tripped breaker,, and the conditions leading up to it (Two high current devices on the same low current branch) so there was really only two possible answeres

Tripped breaker

Burned out junction

With the tripped Breaker being #1 by a mile on the hit parade.
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Old 11-20-2014, 01:10 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RETLT View Post
Thank you all for your help. As stated earlier, this is a great site! It was one of the circuit breakers below the bed. All plugs are now working. I wish the fix on our dead microwave (earlier post) was that easy!

BTW, SuperGewl, I'm not sure what else I can put on my signature. I've got year, make, and model of our coach. I've now added the engine info. Anything else I need to list?

For some reason on the original post it does not show up.
Thanks
Hopefully you have resolved your issues with the circuit.
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Old 11-20-2014, 01:58 PM   #19
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RETLT, if someone touched on this, sorry, but almost certainly the reason your breaker(s) tripped, was you were trying to pull about 30 amps thru a 15/20 amp circuit.. Those 2 appliances are HIGH Load... "One at a time" thru the same circuit next time...rgr...
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Old 11-20-2014, 02:10 PM   #20
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RETLT ...

In order to prevent the same thing from happening in the future, I suggest you trip that same breaker ... and then look for outlets around your coach that still have power (probably the other side of the coach) ... and then remember to plug the heater into one of those before you use the hair dryer in case you want to use both simultaneously.
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