GFI Breaker

[adguy]

The GFI breaker in my new to me 2016 Tiffin Allegro keeps popping off. Doesn’t seem to matter if I have something plugged in or not. Use the gfi plugs in the morning to make coffee and toast no problem. An hour later it wii pop. Sitting around watching tv in the evening nothing plugged in it will pop off. As anyone else had this type of problem.

Leo and Deb
2016 Tiffin Allegro
2022 Equinox

[Gary RVRoamer]

Something powered on that circuit has a ground fault, and apparently that "something" is active only part time, maybe operating on a thermostat or timer. Flip the breaker off and carefully check everything in the RV to see what no longer works. That's your list of suspects.


Note that a ground fault is different than an electrical overload (high amps) and doesn't necessarily result in fireworks. If fact, a device can sometimes work fine while having a ground fault, It's just not a safe way to operate.

[RVFunlovers]

Agreed. Find the device with the ground fault. If not a device it is possible you have a wire issue somewhere on that circuit but that is less likely.

My RV has three breakers with GFI’s and about 1/3 of the outlets are on each. So if one is tripping I would do what Gary said. Turn that breaker off and see what is controlled by that breaker. Whatever is plugged in is suspect on that circuit is suspect.

I am no electrician but my understanding is GFI normally trips when it senses a difference in potential on ground and neutral. They can be darn sensitive.

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2

Intermittent GFCI tripping can be difficult to track down , my neighbor finally tracked his problem to an ice maker in need of defrosting .

Here's some reading on the outlets .

[shootist]

Or it could be a bad gfi. They aren't built to fail on the hot side. Just like regular breakers , they do fail.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by RVFunlovers

Agreed. Find the device with the ground fault. If not a device it is possible you have a wire issue somewhere on that circuit but that is less likely.

My RV has three breakers with GFI’s and about 1/3 of the outlets are on each. So if one is tripping I would do what Gary said. Turn that breaker off and see what is controlled by that breaker. Whatever is plugged in is suspect on that circuit is suspect.

I am no electrician but my understanding is GFI normally trips when it senses a difference in potential on ground and neutral. They can be darn sensitive.

The GFCI monitors the current flowing between hot and neutral. What goes in must come out..
If it senses a difference in that flow, it assumes a fault to earth ground thru your body.
You don't even need a ground hooked up for it to work.

[luvlabs]

GFIs do fail. While you can run around and try and find the fault, unless you are an experienced electrician, you will mostly just waste a bunch of time.

Replace the GFI. If the new one keeps tripping, then it is time to get serious about tracking down the fault.

[jacwjames]

Originally Posted by shootist

Or it could be a bad gfi. They aren't built to fail on the hot side. Just like regular breakers , they do fail.

My block heater circuit was on a GFCI breaker. I have never used it. Last year while I was working on my rig trying to fix an electrical gremlin I tested the breaker, flipping it on, and it immediately tripped. No other outlet on that circuit so I disconnected it and tried the breaker again and if tripped again. Ordered a new breaker and that solved the problem.


You could try swapping breakers from a good circuit an see if it trips.

[gnvrvin]

Originally Posted by jacwjames

My block heater circuit was on a GFCI breaker. I have never used it. Last year while I was working on my rig trying to fix an electrical gremlin I tested the breaker, flipping it on, and it immediately tripped. No other outlet on that circuit so I disconnected it and tried the breaker again and if tripped again. Ordered a new breaker and that solved the problem.


You could try swapping breakers from a good circuit an see if it trips.

Good idea on the swap ...move wire from gfi breaker that is tripping to a good gfi breaker and see if issues follow or are resolved

We carry a spare gfi breaker as they do go bad

Oh and welcome to IRV2



Greg

[Gary French]

I had that problem and it was a bad heating element in the fridge. I replaced it and problem solved