Author Topic: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip  (Read 5534 times)
F96T12 DD VHO
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Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « on: April 24, 2018, 10:35:47 AM » Author: F96T12 DD VHO
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #1 on: April 24, 2018, 06:29:59 PM » Author: lightinglover8902
Could be a very sensitive GFCI, in this case.
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #2 on: April 25, 2018, 01:46:59 AM » Author: RyanF40T12
GFCI outlets get weak over time. 
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #3 on: April 25, 2018, 06:55:05 AM » Author: F96T12 DD VHO
But the fixture draws less than an amp and it can take 15 amp portable stove for a time but it can’t take a simple fixture
I also test these monthly as directed
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #4 on: April 25, 2018, 04:13:21 PM » Author: Ash
Check if the Earth (Green) is swapped with the Neutral (White) in the plug or where the cable connects into the luminaire
 
 If that was ok : When unplugged, remove the tubes and measure resistance with a multimeter, on the highest resistance scale (atleast 1M ohm), between every connection in the luminaire to the body of the luminaire (or to the Earth pin of the plug) :
 
 - From L and N plug pins to body
 
 - From every lamp connection to body (stick the multimeter probe into each side of each lamp socket)
 
 The multimeter must show infinity (no connection) on all measurements. It might show briefly something else (for one second, when charging Y capacitors) but if it is shown for longer than one sample (about one second tops) there is the problem
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #5 on: April 26, 2018, 04:41:56 PM » Author: Medved
But the fixture draws less than an amp and it can take 15 amp portable stove for a time but it can’t take a simple fixture
I also test these monthly as directed

GFCI does not care, what is the current draw.  The only thing it senses is, whether all current flowing into the Line wire returns back via the Neutral.
The first Kirchoff's law says, unless fhere is some current path somewhere else, the returned current is exactly the same. So if the GFCI senses any mismatch (the US socket GFCI's respond to 6mA mismatch, the sensitivity required in European installations is maximum 30mA; of course older installations may either feature less sensitive type or no GFCI at all, based on what was in the code at the time of commisioning), it treats it as there is an insulation failure somewhere, so an electrocution risk, so it trips and shuts the affected branch down.

So a tripping GFCI really means there is some current leakage between the functional circuit and grounded metal work, just a capacitor current wont trip it (US 6mA GFCI's are phase sensitive, so respond to only resistive phase component, the "30mA" European ones have sensitivity around 25mA (and phase insensitive, due to 3-phase installation being a common place, so a leak from other phase cannot be distinguished from the capacitor), which is way above the allowed ground currents, so just the Y capacitors wont trip it either.
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #6 on: April 26, 2018, 10:39:48 PM » Author: xmaslightguy
I once had a light that would trip a GFI every time it was turned off .
I just assumed that the electronic ballast gave some sorta little 'kickback' when turned off (probably from the capacitors in it)
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Re: Help, I don’t know what causes the GFCI to trip « Reply #7 on: April 27, 2018, 01:31:06 AM » Author: Medved
More likely the kicckback overvoltage caused breakdown of some fauly insulation spot (so weaker in dielectric strength) towards the grounded frame. Quite frequent problem on aging wiring - the insulation may bestill good enough for the normal operating voltages, but not enough for anynormal overvoltage event. Without tge GFCI orsimilar tripping it uses toend up as a fire, once it degrades so it doesnot hold eventhe operating voltages...
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