Listees,
This discussion brings to mind a GFCI issue I've recently experienced in
helping my son-in-law with some electrical upgrades in the kitchen of this
1950's home that has only two-wire branch circuits (no grounds). He was adding
a GFCI, the duplex receptacle style, in the circuit providing power to
countertop outlets. As mentioned earlier today, the GFCI was/is installed as
the first device in the circuit, thus protecting the other duplex receptacles
downstream. The issue stems from the fact that downstream there is a
fluorescent light fixture above the kitchen sink powered from this same
circuit and every time the light is turned off, the GFCI trips.
When this light is disconnected from the circuit everything's fine. When an
incandescent lamp is connected to the leads that normally power the
fluorescent fixture, there is no problem.
I removed the fluorescent fixture from the ceiling and attached a power cord
to it. When plugged into three other circuits protected by GFCI's, they do not
trip. I haven't noted the brand names for the four GFCI's involved in this
exercise and am not sure if it matters. Does anyone have any insight as to
what may be causing the one GFCI to trip when the light is turned off?
Thanks.
Good day,
Richard I. Pittenger
Agency Approval Engineer
Food Retail Systems
Hobart
From: Don Gies [mailto:don.g...@alcatel-lucent.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:14 PM
To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: Re: [PSES] GFCI Outlets in Phoenix, AZ
Years ago, in outdoor telephone service cabinets, we would provide both
GFCI-protected and non-GFCI protected 120 V AC convenience receptacles. As
noted, you would not likely plug test equipment such as spectrum analyzers
with a lot of EMI filtering in outdoor residential receptacles, but you
might if testing telephone service equipment.
However, a customer complained about not meeting NEC 210.8 when the cabinets
were installed on rooftops. Back then, the NEC said all receptacles
installed on rooftops must be GFCI-protected, no exceptions (still no
exceptions in 2008 that would apply). After consulting with UL and NFPA/NEC
personnel, it was determined that the code was not written at the time with
consideration to service-access-only equipment, so the non-GFCI convenience
receptacles disappeared.
Regards,
Don Gies, N.C.E
Senior Product Compliance Engineer
Alcatel-Lucent
Murray Hill, NJ 07974-0636 USA
Member, Alcatel-Lucent Technical Academy
From: McInturff, Gary [mailto:gary.mcintu...@esterline.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 12:31 PM
To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: Re: GFCI Outlets in Phoenix, AZ
I think this got started with computer equipment etc, and one wants to
be a little careful when using GFCIs on computer type equipment when if
the get turned on at the same time. The initial power on inrush of
current through the X (Y?) caps can look like leakage to the GFCIs and
if you turn on enough equipment at the same time they can trip. I ran
into that with a small server rack. Not sure why the customer had it set
up that way - but we just had him add a few more GFCIs and he could
still hit the master switch and turn on the rack without problem.
From: Ted Eckert [mailto:ted.eck...@microsoft.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 6:23 AM
To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: Re: [PSES] GFCI Outlets in Phoenix, AZ
They are the 5 mA type. They are the exact same GFCI outlet you would
use for a single installation. See the instruction sheet linked at the
site below if you are curious about the installation.
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=606332section=
11625minisite=10026
From: John Woodgate [mailto:j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk]
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 10:48 PM
To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: Re: GFCI Outlets in Phoenix, AZ
In message
5ee25f4c3567f748871d74829b84dd9d6f926...@tk5ex14mbxc135.redmond.corp.mi
c
rosoft.com, dated Wed, 28 Jul 2010, Ted Eckert
ted.eck...@microsoft.com writes:
One GFCI outlet can be installed such that it protects numerous other
outlets downstream.
But are such GFCIs the 5 mA sort?
--
OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try www.jmwa.demon.co.uk and www.isce.org.uk
John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK I should
be disillusioned, but it's not worth the effort.
But I support unbloated email http://www.asciiribbon.org/
-
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