Community Forums

biketate · 09-20-2015, 10:41 PM

Quick note about shore power. If your rig has built-in going protection, a gfci in a 30A panel may trip constantly before your automatic transfer switch can transfer the power to shore. Thought that I was being smart by protecting my TT30R outlet with $70 GFCI. Boohoo, had to put in $4 std breaker and all is well.

ChasA · 09-21-2015, 07:46 AM

In my previous motorhome, I had a gfci that kept tripping with no loads anywhere in the circuit. I replaced the gfci. That did not fix the problem. I then started pulling receptacles from walls. I found one oulet with a wire that wasn't secure in the chintzy push in terminal. I pushed the wire all the way in and never had another problem.
So, I suggest you start pulling outlets and checking the wires.

FreedomDream · 09-21-2015, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChasA

In my previous motorhome, I had a gfci that kept tripping with no loads anywhere in the circuit. I replaced the gfci. That did not fix the problem. I then started pulling receptacles from walls. I found one oulet with a wire that wasn't secure in the chintzy push in terminal. I pushed the wire all the way in and never had another problem.
So, I suggest you start pulling outlets and checking the wires.

+1
I bet you find it in one of the down stream receptacles.

ronnie_g · 09-21-2015, 08:14 AM

At home I had a GFI that would trip intermittently. It fed only 4 outlets.
Eventually what I found was a outdoor outlet that over the years had filled with dust.
Apparently as the humidity changed it would trip the GFI. New outlet and has not tripped in years.

TQ60 · 09-21-2015, 03:27 PM

We have them in the yard controlled by a temp sensor to power old style Christmas lights we place on the citrus trees for frost protection.

Black ants are attracted to electricity and swarm in the boxes filling them up with many ants and a little fog the ants get conductive and the gfi trips.

Have switches to isolate them but still a pain to clean out the roasted in place ants.

ronnie_g · 09-21-2015, 07:58 PM

I would suggest you open up your circuit to remove 1/2 of the outlets.
If it still trips remove 1/2 of whats left, keep this up till you find the problem area.
If it doesn't trip, add on 1/2 of what was removed, till you find the problem.
Also GFI's do go bad, it might be a bad GFI.

epj · 09-23-2015, 07:15 AM

Well, I thought I had it fixed. I changed the light bulbs in one of the fluorescent fixtures in the bedroom. The GFI reset and stayed reset for about an hour and a half. I turned the light off, but still had the problem. Guess I'll have to start disconnecting plugs one at a time.

ronnie_g · 09-23-2015, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epj

Well, I thought I had it fixed. I changed the light bulbs in one of the fluorescent fixtures in the bedroom. The GFI reset and stayed reset for about an hour and a half. I turned the light off, but still had the problem. Guess I'll have to start disconnecting plugs one at a time.

Most RV lights are DC?
No "DC load" will trip a AC GFI

epj · 09-23-2015, 11:06 AM

Most RV lights are indeed 12V. These are 120V AC.

jesilvas · 09-23-2015, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnie_g

Most RV lights are DC?
No "DC load" will trip a AC GFI

And it's the RF emitted by a fluorescent light that will cause issues too.

the trainguy · 09-23-2015, 01:29 PM

Being a licensed electrician for more than 40 years I have replaced at least a hundred gfci receptacles that have become defective.

The load side of them "sense" or monitor current leakage from the hot wire to ground.
You can take a DMM on ohms from the load side to ground to see if there is any resistance(leakage).
If there is any resistance then the issue is with the load or anything downstream.
If the meter says infinity or "OL" then the gfci device itself is bad.
Very simple to troubleshoot if you have a meter,otherwise you're just another doctor without a stethoscope!

Bob

epj · 09-23-2015, 02:01 PM

I've already replaced the GFCI unit. Of course that doesn't mean the new one isn't bad too. Just unlikely. I have a meter and will check for resistance between the load side hot wire and ground. Thanks.

Gary RVRoamer · 09-24-2015, 01:24 PM

You can also use your meter check for voltage or current in the ground wire. If there is any at all, then the GFCI was just doing its job the way it is supposed to. "Working as designed", they call it.

I've never been able to comprehend why people are so ready to blame a GFCI trip on a faulty GFCI instead of an actual ground fault? Sure, any device can fail, but is it so hard believe that it might also be telling the truth? I chalk it up to ignorance of what a ground fault really is, and why we have GFCI's in the first place.