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Old 04-27-2011, 07:13 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 362
Information on GFI

Found this link on another forum. Someone took the time to document how GFIs work, and make it available to the public in a fairly easy to understand form. It then goes on to mention the common things in an RV that could cause a GFI to trip.

http://personal.cha.bellsouth.net/j/...les/rv/gfi.pdf

hope this is helpful,
jim

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Old 04-27-2011, 08:40 PM   #2
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Location: Adirondack Mountains NY
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Re: Information on GFI

Good article, trying to be clear, but unavoidably a bit geeky. A layman's eyes might be glazed over by the middle of the article. That is a shame, because they might stop reading before the author gets to the part about causes of false trips. That section is important for troubleshooting, even if the "engineerical" details of how the devices operate are too much.

One source of false trips not listed that I have experience with, and the author might not, is strong radio signals. Using a walkie-talkie in an RV with GFCIs is a reliable cause of false trips. The AC wiring acts as antennas, and if enough signal is gathered and sent to the circuit board, it reacts and cuts the power the same as it would for sensing a current leak.
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Old 04-28-2011, 06:29 AM   #3
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Re: Information on GFI

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla
So do you agree with Mr. DeArmond of that a GFCI for the main panel is not a good idea?
To be clear, if I read him correctly, he was talking about no GFCI on the campground pedestal/building outlet that feeds the shoreline to the bus. His solution for certain "leaky" but serviceable devices was to isolate them on non-GFCI circuits. That is impossible if the entire shoreline is protected by a sensitive GFCI. His solution implies protecting individual "branch" circuits, not the entire vehicle.
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Old 04-28-2011, 08:42 AM   #4
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Re: Information on GFI

I'm personally of the opinion that everything *should* be GFI protected if there is any chance that a human might come into contact with any potentially conductive surface on that item. How's that for a caveat?

Short version: everything.

The reason electric heating elements leak to ground is due to 50+ year old heating element design. They *can* design heating elements that don't leak any current at all.

The point about rooftop a/c units getting "crud" in their motor windings is yet another argument against using those abominations.

Proper engineering by equipment manufacturers will avoid current leakage. If your equipment doesn't leak current, it runs safer.

I recently hooked up an RV fridge (absorption type), and had to run it off the electric element. The heating element was leaking so bad it would light you up if you touched it. I had to scare up a non-GFI outlet and make sure the ground was attached to make it safe enough to test and sell. I informed the buyer they needed to replace that heating element soon. Dad an I measured 80+ volts between the fridge's frame and reference ground. That's one helluva leak.

If equipment doesn't leak when installed, then starts leaking later, a GFCI tripping will clue you into the problem. This is a Good Thing. This gives you an opportunity to fix the problem before it becomes dangerous to your health and safety.

Now, about a single GFI main breaker vs multiple GFIs... with a single main, when it trips everything is taken out. With multiples, only one circuit should be affected.

Anyway, this is just my opinion...
jim
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