Open Ground question
Hi all, I have been having a problem with plugging into the shore power at our storage facility. They have all circuits run through GFCI outlets on the pole. When we plug in and we are not running any...
Forum Discussion
CA Traveler wrote:
OK if motors etc cause a GFCI to trip then they would be an impossible nightmare on 30A and 50A RV plugs.
Yikes - Yes my bathroom and kitchen counter top plugs are GFCI protected.
Sorry I just spaced out when thinking about one of my GFCI circuits. It has 8 garage and outside plugs with 270' of 14 gauge wire on a 15A CB. Not knowing this my saw wouldn't cut hot butter on the last plug. All wired to NEC and county code as I found out.
and if the fridge is on one of kitchen circuits, I'll bet they wired it so fridge is outlet 1 and a GFCI outlet on outlet 2.
In reality the likelyhood of a ac motor tripping a GFCI is remote for a properly functioning motor but it does exist. Especially in locations with open frame motors that can collect lots of dust, dirt, oil etc. the reason for the NEC exception is that a false trip on a fridge or freezer has pretty signficant consequences. so NEC doesn't require them to be on a GFCI when other items are. Seems like a reasonable exception.
personally in 35 years I have never had a motor trip a GFCI, and that includes my trailer AC, and all the other motor devices in the house and workshop, including some pretty high HP motors and pretty old motors.
But I sure wouldn't want to come home from vacation with a fridge or freezer that tripped a GFCI.
