GFCI pops

[twdickson]

My rear GFCI pops. I have nothing plugged in and can see no obvious plug issues. I decided to replace the GFCI as 1st step. I turned off shore side circuit breaker (not main) to the rear GFCI circuit. Pulled GFCI out and got shocked. Turned the inverter side circuit breaker off which killed the power. Looking at the schematic that should not be any inverter power to the plug as long as the shore power is connected which energizes the relay between shore power and inverter power. Inspected the relay and do not see an issue but will change it any way. Am I on the right track or does some one know something I haven't considered. 1995 Monaco Crown Royal.

[Robi.1014]

The GFCI unit may have other outlets that it protects. One troubleshooting option is to disconnect the "load" wire (disconnecting the down-stream outlets) at the GFCI unit then apply power. If the unit does not pop now, then it's an indication that the problem is at a down stream outlet. If the GFCI pops when in this stand-alone mode (no "load" attached), then try replacing it.

[Mike Canter]

Check any and all outside outlets that are exposed to the weather and make sure that water has not gotten in and made them damp. Sometimes the spring cover stops them from drying out. If you washed the MH or it has been raining then that is what I would suspect. Most of the time the GFCI plug is not bad because it pops and is just the messenger trying to tell you something. I would blow out all your outside outlets with air and see if it helps.

[bobinaz123]

This is a believe it or not story. I carry my cell phone in my left front pants pocket and I have a GFI receptical on the front of my bathroom sink in my 08 Camelot. Sometimes when I am at the sink and I lean against it the phone and the receptical are very close and the GFI trips. Don't ask me why. It just does.

Bob F

[Mike Canter]

Bob, I don't think I would be carrying that phone in my pants pocket that close to my groin area (lol)

[Wayne M]

All the above (well maybe except for the phone), but remember that GFCI's are "polarity" sensitive. They have a specific ground, and a specific load/line. Look at the back side of the GFCI and make sure the ground goes into ground, and line goes into line/load. It is written on the back of the GFCI plug.

Disconnecting the outlines in the same line will only indicate that the problem is not at the GFCI plug. I would think that you would then have to connect on outlet at a time and try again. If the GFCI blows when any one outlet is connected you probably found your culprit. The lines connected to the GFCI are most likely in series. One blows/shorts, they all go out.

In AC circuits black is hot, white is neutral.

Good luck.

[Kbiddick]

" Looking at the schematic that should not be any inverter power to the plug as long as the shore power is connected which energizes the relay between shore power and inverter power. Inspected the relay and do not see an issue but will change it any way."

You mentioned getting shocked -- it may be that the shore power passes through the inverter on it's way to that outlet. I have a heart interface 458 inverter and the circuits it serves are always powered though the inverter. The inverter has an internal transfer switch which passes shore power to those downstream circuits when it is available. Replacing the transfer switch / relay may not resolve the outlet "hot" status.