GFCI trips when Norcold N641 on AC. Only have 4 days to fix

Step one: Disconnect the heat element, If you have a multi-meter measure resistance from each of the wires to any handy metal part. (Should show open circuit, I suspect it will not and if it does not then step 2)

Step 2: Replace heat element.

120V AC fridge outlet is in outside compartment.

And because not everybody is smart enough NOT to blow water into vent cover(s) when washing RV the mfg. have to put a GCFI controlled outlet in that outside compartment.

rerod wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
What is this freaking fetish with refrigerators and GCFI's?

Bathroom, kitchen and outdoor receptacles yes. If they are too cheap to buy a 2nd and 3rd GCFI outlet then bring a tool kit. Vacation's over. Uh, aren't most RV refrigerator parts you touch plastic? Or vinyl covered?

Good question.. I wondered if I could exclude the gfic from the circuit. But I imagine someone must have had a accident due to the 110 plug getting wet.
But my refrigerator is cooling on LP , and I'm relieved.

Thanks everyone

The parts of the fridge you touch are plastic, mostly, but the metal chassis of the fridge is connected (electrically) to the RV frame, so leaked current could travel wherever. Even if the fridge were not on the RV's GFCI circuit, it would pop any GFCI that the RV as a whole were plugged into, such as any (up to code) 15/20A outlet.

The proper response to a ground fault is of course to correct the fault. In this case, it's presumably that the electric heating element needs replacement.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
What is this freaking fetish with refrigerators and GCFI's?

Bathroom, kitchen and outdoor receptacles yes. If they are too cheap to buy a 2nd and 3rd GCFI outlet then bring a tool kit. Vacation's over. Uh, aren't most RV refrigerator parts you touch plastic? Or vinyl covered?

Good question.. I wondered if I could exclude the gfic from the circuit. But I imagine someone must have had a accident due to the 110 plug getting wet.
But my refrigerator is cooling on LP , and I'm relieved.

Thanks everyone

Well I would argue wet part
Possibly damp in high humidity Or rain
And definitely dusty when dry, which might create a circuit path when damp

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
What is this freaking fettish with refrigerators and GCFI's?

Bathroom, kitchen and outdoor recepticles yes. If they are too cheap to buy a 2nd and 3rd GCFI outlet then bring a tool kit. Vacation's over. Uh, aren't most RV refigerator parts you touch plastic? Or vinyl covered?

It's that the outlets are in a wet location inside the vent.

What is this freaking fettish with refrigerators and GCFI's?

Bathroom, kitchen and outdoor recepticles yes. If they are too cheap to buy a 2nd and 3rd GCFI outlet then bring a tool kit. Vacation's over. Uh, aren't most RV refigerator parts you touch plastic? Or vinyl covered?

Replacing the element is really trivial. You can test it by measuring resistance between a lead and the case- you should get zero ohms. A bad one will measure in the millions of ohms or lower. It may well work fine after running on LP for a while- the elements get a bit of moisture inside, which gives a very high resistance path to ground- enough to trip the gfi. When they heat up with the LP, the moisture can be driven out.

I've replaced hundreds of elements, and never had an issue breaking anything, other than a 30 year old Dometic that I had to break out the old element and install a new, smaller one wrapped in a brass shim. Worked fine for several more years.

the bear II wrote:
If you have a built-in ice maker the water from mine was leaking and would trip the GFI. I fixed the leak and no more trip.

It should work on propane until you can fix the AC issue.

I don't have a ice maker.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
If it has a bad electric heating element, I would not bother to fix it at all. The gas burner is about 50% more powerful than the 250 watt electric element, and will run the refrigerator much better than on electric.

When you get home, if you really want to spend $95 on parts and perhaps 2 hours shop labor time and risk damage to your refrigerator, then you can replace the heating element at a shop. Or try to pull it out yourself. Yet if the bad element has melted into the steel tubing that it is in, it might crack when trying to remove it, and destroy the $1,300 refrigerator. Something that you might not want to happen 2 days before your trip.

Run it on gas for a few weeks, it will not hurt anything. Then consider just leaving it on gas - it only takes about 1 gallon of propane every 3-6 days, depending on the outside air temp.

Fred.

Thanks Fred. It looks like the propane side is working, as the flame is lit and no error messages. I should know by this afternoon if its cooling.

What can crack when replacing the element again? Steel tubing?
I don't plan on fixing it before my trip, or at all , if its that risky.

If it has a bad electric heating element, I would not bother to fix it at all. The gas burner is about 50% more powerful than the 250 watt electric element, and will run the refrigerator much better than on electric.

When you get home, if you really want to spend $95 on parts and perhaps 2 hours shop labor time and risk damage to your refrigerator, then you can replace the heating element at a shop. Or try to pull it out yourself. Yet if the bad element has melted into the steel tubing that it is in, it might crack when trying to remove it, and destroy the $1,300 refrigerator. Something that you might not want to happen 2 days before your trip.

Run it on gas for a few weeks, it will not hurt anything. Then consider just leaving it on gas - it only takes about 1 gallon of propane every 3-6 days, depending on the outside air temp.

Fred.