20 amp gfci keeps tripping

[Over_Landers]

Is it time to replace the constantly tripping gfci on the 2015 AI GT Ext?

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by Over_Landers

Is it time to replace the constantly tripping gfci on the 2015 AI GT Ext?

A LOT more info is needed. You tell us nothing of the nature of why it is tripping.....plugged in, anything attached to it, over drawing it.....yeah.....things like that.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Over_Landers

Is it time to replace the constantly tripping gfci on the 2015 AI GT Ext?

Yes. It's just a Siemens breaker that's available at retail... I bought my replacement either from Lowe's or Home Depot (I looked online and found which one had a suitable replacement in stock.) It's been a year or so since and I haven't had the new breaker trip (mine is in a trailer, not an interstate, but from the photo it's the same breaker.)

[BayouBiker]

could be the breaker/GFCI but it could also be a real ground fault or high current. Does it trip with nothing connected? Does it only trip in use but it trip regardless of what is connected? Are you using more than 2200-2400 watts (~20A)?

You could replace it to see if that fixes the issue or you can become an electrical sleuth and determine the root cause first. Your call.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by kittmaster

A LOT more info is needed. You tell us nothing of the nature of why it is tripping.....plugged in, anything attached to it, over drawing it.....yeah.....things like that.

Those Siemens GFCI breakers are hit-or-miss. There are simply some junk ones that give up the ghost early in their life. I had a bad one, I wasted several hours trying to find what was tripping it and I finally eliminated other possibilities and decided it was a bad breaker, replaced it, haven't had it trip once in 60+ nights of camping since then.

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Those Siemens GFCI breakers are hit-or-miss. There are simply some junk ones that give up the ghost early in their life. I had a bad one, I wasted several hours trying to find what was tripping it and I finally eliminated other possibilities and decided it was a bad breaker, replaced it, haven't had it trip once in 60+ nights of camping since then.

Understood and makes sense, but still, it would be useful to know what conditions it was under when it trips. I agreed, not all GFCI breakers are created equal, but it would be helpful to know the conditions where when it trips.

[strangepod]

Do you have another GFI in the circuit downstream from it? Multiple GFI's that are on the same circuit tend to fight each other and could cause it to trip. But as others have said, what are the conditions that makes it trip?

[Protagonist]

Possible sources of tripping other than a bad breaker:
1 - Water or corrosion in the exterior outlets (that GFCI breaker controls outside outlets).
2 - Water leak in the galley (that GFCI controls fridge 120vAC outlet, which could get wet from a leak)
3 - Too much stuff running on the circuit (a GFCI is still a breaker and can trip from overload as well as from ground fault)
4 - As Strangepod noted, a second GFCI plugged into the same circuit can cause tripping; the one furthest upstream tends to trip because it reads the downstream GFCI as a fault.

[perryg114]

Every GFI circuit I have ever had experience with has failed. They are another safety item that is more trouble than it is worth.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Good GFI's properly installed will run for many decades without failing. If you happen to live on the top of a hill and get hit by lightning a lot ... maybe not so much.

They don't cost much (compared to your MH). Swapping one out may or may not fix the problem. If it doesn't then you wasted the drive to Lowes

A good flooding of any outlets that might have water in the vicinity with silicone spray is generally a lower cost "first step".

Bob

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Every GFI circuit I have ever had experience with has failed. They are another safety item that is more trouble than it is worth.

I would much rather have a GFCI that trips when it shouldn't than one that doesn't trip when it should (or a circuit that should have GFCI but doesn't). Electrocution is not a pleasant experience, and the main reason for installing GFCI is to make sure one's own body doesn't become the path to ground.

[Over_Landers]

Only trips when on shore power and nothing plugged into AC outlets and USB ports forward and aft (don’t think it’s a load issue). Getting power to both TVs in the tripped condition? There is some h2o on the head/shower-floor. Will pull the panel under sink and explore some more. Thx all for the prompt replies!

[BayouBiker]

Yeah so the GFI circuit is only live with shore power and it is an active device so it will only trip powered up. the Tv's and whatnot are on different circuits.

So While tripped and nothing connected elsewhere, go to a GFIC protected wall socket and measure resistance from the hot side to the ground plug. It should be completely open (near infinite resistance). If it is, then the breaker is bad and needs replacement. If it is not, ensure again nothing is connected to the GFIC circuit (check your manual in my trailer it is only the sockets. Now pull the breaker and test again, if now good the breaker is bad. If you still have low resistance, use the spray trick on the sockets, especially the outside ones.

Let us know what you find.

[strangepod]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Every GFI circuit I have ever had experience with has failed. They are another safety item that is more trouble than it is worth.

I would disagree and yes I would admit that on a rare occasion GFI's can be a small pain, but let me tell you a story.
About 10 years ago we had (and still do) several large aquariums set up in the house and was my rule to have a GFI on every tank. Well one night I was awoken at 2am by odor of an 'electrical smell', after much looking around the house I noticed an outlet strip that was burned and melted by a very small leak from the tank area, the only thing that saved my but and house was that GFI that tripped and did it's job.


John

[BayouBiker]

correction, the refrigerator is plugged in from the outside and is on that circuit so be sure to unplug it first and then reset the breaker. It is possible the refrig is the issue