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+-- Thread: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition (/showthread.php?tid=7340352)
it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - EricU - 06-19-2018
Last time I had this problem, there was a broken outlet. Not sure what is going on now, it stays on for a couple of minutes and then blows. I am not seeing any issues on the load side. This breaker feeds a couple of outside outlets and the outlets in the bathrooms. I'm not going to be able to use my electric toothbrush soon since it's not getting recharged.
Is there a way to tell if it's the gfci function or an overload? Should I just replace it? Is there an easy way to tell if I have some kind of fault from the load side?
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - EricU - 06-19-2018
well, it's not the one outside outlet I was afraid it might be, that one is on a light circuit, and it works when the circuit is blown.
Just unplugged everything on the circuit, don't think that will help though. Our garage isn't on the circuit, I guess the house is too old for that
I'm wondering if the outside outlet on the deck got filled with water in the recent rainstorm. I am not sure exactly how that causes this problem, but I guess it's worth a shot to check
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - MarkSingleton - 06-19-2018
Sometimes it is best to just replace it if you have a spare handy and see
if the unit itself was/is the problem. They do wear over time.
Or so I was told.
If that does not fix the problem, the search goes on. That bit about recent
rain may be a good clue. Water and electric don't play well together....
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - jlanciani - 06-19-2018
(06-19-2018, 11:31 AM)EricU Wrote: Last time I had this problem, there was a broken outlet. Not sure what is going on now, it stays on for a couple of minutes and then blows. I am not seeing any issues on the load side. This breaker feeds a couple of outside outlets and the outlets in the bathrooms. I'm not going to be able to use my electric toothbrush soon since it's not getting recharged.
Is there a way to tell if it's the gfci function or an overload? Should I just replace it? Is there an easy way to tell if I have some kind of fault from the load side?
Disconnect the load side wiring from the GFI and re-energize it. If it still trips replace the GFI, if it doesn't trip any longer the problem is downstream. Go down the line one device at a time until you find the source of the fault.
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - daddo - 06-20-2018
Plugging in and unplugging a device that draws current immediately, either by capacitor charge or the device is on can, on occasion, trip it.
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - EricU - 06-21-2018
there are no loads like that, as far as I know. With everything unplugged, it still trips. It takes about 5 minutes or so, haven't caught it tripping yet to find out the exact amount of time. Got to get to the panel and disconnect it. I thought I read that the outlets would refuse to set if the load side was disconnected, but I'm not sure how that works. I suppose there could be outlets on the circuit that I don't know about, but I haven't found any (unexpected) dead outlets yet.
My toothbrush is safely plugged into another circuit.
I guess it's old enough that it doesn't owe us anything. I wish I knew what the first outlet in line was, I would replace it with a gfci and use a regular breaker. I suppose it wouldn't take that long to figure out, there are only 5 outlets on the circuit.
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - EricU - 06-21-2018
I am pretty sure I found it. Looks like a spider took up housekeeping in one of the outside outlets. Took the opportunity to replace the outlet since it was backstabbed, and those seem to cause nothing but trouble. I disconnected everything but the first outlet, and the breaker has been on for over an hour now.
Got to go re-wire that first outlet, had to cut some wires because they used crimped wire nuts.
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - Roly - 06-21-2018
(06-21-2018, 09:34 AM)EricU Wrote: I am pretty sure I found it. Looks like a spider took up housekeeping in one of the outside outlets. Took the opportunity to replace the outlet since it was backstabbed, and those seem to cause nothing but trouble. I disconnected everything but the first outlet, and the breaker has been on for over an hour now.
Got to go re-wire that first outlet, had to cut some wires because they used crimped wire nuts.
Also look to see if the neutral could be grounded past the gfci. This will cause intermittent tripping. Roly
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - EricU - 06-21-2018
It took a lot longer this time, but it tripped again. I might go back to just having the first outlet connected and see how long that lasts.
RE: it's always something, GFCI breaker keeps blowing edition - Roly - 06-21-2018
(06-21-2018, 03:38 PM)EricU Wrote: It took a lot longer this time, but it tripped again. I might go back to just having the first outlet connected and see how long that lasts.
Are you disconnecting the neutral also past the first outlet ? if not disconnect that also and see how long it lasts. While you have the neutral disconnected check for continuity between the neutral and a ground. Roly