Community Forums

cletesingler · 06-11-2021, 02:44 PM

Rained cats and dogs, and humidity of 99% with about 100 degF - and one of my daisy-chained GFCI plugs failed in the bedroom, 5 total including one above the TV on the ceiling, and 3 in the bottom including 1 outside. Yes, I'll bet it's the water! So, the bathroom GFCI is OK and resets OK and has power - and I have not pulled it out to see if there are load black and white wires going someplace - I will do that next. Therefore, I assume that is not the "master" GFCI controlling the bedroom and below circuits all labeled GFCI Protetced. There's gotta be another GFCI tripped that controls all these 9 plugs???? Or, the bathroom GFCI, mandated by code, does control those 9 circuits??? Oh, I have a 2014 Coachmen Brookstone 325 5th wheel if it makes any difference? Rain and 99% humidity and GFCI protected circuits on the outside of an RV and one in the ceiling near the edge.....I'll bet there is another GFCI reset button somewhere, and when everything's dried out - but sure would like to fine the offending circuit! In the meantime, an extension cord from the dryer plug......

Skip426 · 06-11-2021, 08:55 PM

It would be an unusual spot for the first GFCI in the chain , but have you looked at the 120 volt plugin for the fridge ? You'll have to open the outside lower vent to access it.

bddadles · 06-12-2021, 05:43 AM

There may be a breaker for the GCFI circuit in the breaker panel. Just a thought.

lisaz · 06-12-2021, 05:50 AM

You must have at least one receptacle in the basement, that would have to be GFCI also...

egwilly · 06-12-2021, 07:24 AM

Some builders install their master GFCI plug in the kitchen. Usually the one closest to the sink.

cletesingler · 06-12-2021, 09:49 AM

Mea culpa, mea....I forgot to mentiop that the 2 obvious GFCIs with reset buttons, one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom, did not pop out or set the light - and they are both OK with full power and operable reset buttons. Thus I assume that neither of these "master" GFCIs control the outlets in the bedroom of below the bedroom. The Norcold 1210 continued working on AC and the 120 VAC icemaker continued to make ice! There has to be another "master" GFCI, right (or wrong) that controls these 8 circuits? I gotta get to the RV in storage and pull the GFCI in the bathroom to see if it has 2 wires, black and white for input/source, as well as 2 wires going to power and control those 5 outlets in the bedroom and the 3 below - 8 of these 120VAC (15 amps each) outlets seems to be a lot of outlets for one circuit breaker to protect! Anybody know the code and what's allowable for one breaker to protect?

cletesingler · 06-12-2021, 09:57 AM

Oh, also by the way, neither GFCI "master" with reset buttons are protected by CBs on the panel! At least they are not listed as such, and all CBs were ON and none were set to OFF or half way OFF. I assume code is OK with GFCIs being stand-alone breaker devices and do NOT have to be protected by a dedicated CB on the panel. Can an expert help me with that assumption, and any RVer
experience that all GFCI devices have to be protected by a CB?

Skip426 · 06-12-2021, 10:02 AM

A GFCI outlet would be the first outlet in the daisy chain . So visualize the circuit of non functioning outlets , in the direction leading back to the 120 volt circuit breaker panel .

At very least you'll be able to narrow your search area in the RV for the GFCI outlet.

Skip426 · 06-12-2021, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cletesingler

Oh, also by the way, neither GFCI "master" with reset buttons are protected by CBs on the panel! At least they are not listed as such, and all CBs were ON and none were set to OFF or half way OFF. I assume code is OK with GFCIs being stand-alone breaker devices and do NOT have to be protected by a dedicated CB on the panel. Can an expert help me with that assumption, and any RVer
experience that all GFCI devices have to be protected by a CB?

You posted this while I was typing my last response .
NO , every 120 volt circuit must originate in the 120 volt circuit breaker panel and be over load protected , GFCIs don't protect against overload .

Skip426 · 06-12-2021, 10:15 AM

Your circuit breaker panel , might not have all the info your after when it comes to ; which circuit each breaker protects ; maybe time to switch individual breakers off and make your own notes as to what's on each breaker.

Persistent · 06-12-2021, 11:56 AM

I do not know how you determined that the loss of power was due to GFI trip. If you did not find a tripped GFI, how do you know?

It could be a tripped circuit breaker or a fuse. Some RV's have complicated power systems. Various EMS with inverters can do strange things. Check manuals for troubleshooting.

Turn each main panel circuit breaker "off" and back "on". Sometimes they trip and do not "show".

It sounds like you have tripped and reset all the GFI outlets you could find. If not, press the test button and reset.

There may be a GFI outlet behind the microwave or any other build in appliance. Code requires them to be accessible, but no one polices lazy electricians short cuts.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!

cletesingler · 06-13-2021, 07:37 PM

I really appreciate the experience and expertise of our fellow RVers. You are absolutely correct that all 120 VAC devices and circuits are protected by the one CB panel, just as all 12 VDC circuits are protected by the panel. I promise I will find the CB that protects the 2 obvious GFCIs with reset buttons. I also promise to see if the GFCI (with a reset button) in the bathroom has "output" wires that initiates a possible daisy chain of several GFCI-protected outlets in the bedroom and below the bedroom. And,. I will continue to go crazy looking for another GFCI-with-reset-button possibly hidden in the storage area behind all my junk in there.

bddadles · 06-14-2021, 05:36 AM

I guess at this point I would start looking at every outlet I could find looking for GCFI's. Even the outside outlets. Just because something is not supposed to be doesn't mean it isn't. I have seen GCFI's in the basement of one rig.

Just keep looking. That is the best I have. Good luck.

cletesingler · 06-14-2021, 06:23 PM

I really appreciate the experience i've witnessed. Today I removed the GFCI-with-reset-button from the bathroom, and yes, it does have wires to a "load" and therefore I'm guessing that the load wires from that GFCI initiate a daisy chain to the 7 GFCI-protected outlets in the bedroom, and 3 below the bedroom one of which is located outside. Boy, that seems like a lot of GFCI-protected outlets for one 20-amp rated GFCI (the GFCI notes it is 15 amp receptacle but 20 amp protection overall). So. I will continue to look for another GFCI-with-reset-button in that area. I will also consider one mention by the experts that there is an offending circuit in the chain that opened a CB and did NOT set the GFCI open. I confess I have not checked all the CBs on the panel for possible half-open and not closed condition - I wish I knew which CB that bathroom and the daisy-chained GFCI-protected circuits was on. How do I safely test for that?