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#1
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Lifetime of an outdoor GFCI
I have an outdoor GFCI outlet. About every two years, I have to replace the
outlet. It doesn't trip very often (if at all) between the time I install the new one, and the time it finally starts to trip constantly. I do run pond equipment on this circuit all summer. It seems to fail in the winter time when I either plug my truck's block heater in, or I try and start my snowblower. It doesn't trip if I plug my xmas lights into it. I am not an expert electrician, however when I built our home, I was present when the wiring for the house was done. I can confirm that there is no damage to the circuit cabling. This leads me to believe that the GFCI itself is failing. If I replace the GFCI it will work as expected. My question is, is it reasonable to only expect 2 years of regular service out of a GFCI? What are the recommended brands for outdoor use? Thanks Mike |
#2
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"Mikhael47" wrote in
: I have an outdoor GFCI outlet. About every two years, I have to replace the outlet. It doesn't trip very often (if at all) between the time I install the new one, and the time it finally starts to trip constantly. I do run pond equipment on this circuit all summer. It seems to fail in the winter time when I either plug my truck's block heater in, or I try and start my snowblower. It doesn't trip if I plug my xmas lights into it. I am not an expert electrician, however when I built our home, I was present when the wiring for the house was done. I can confirm that there is no damage to the circuit cabling. This leads me to believe that the GFCI itself is failing. If I replace the GFCI it will work as expected. My question is, is it reasonable to only expect 2 years of regular service out of a GFCI? What are the recommended brands for outdoor use? Couple of questions: (I'm not an electrician, but I've done my share of household wiring) What gauge is the wiring for the outlet ? What amperage is the breaker at the box for this circuit? Is it a dedicated circuit ? Have you opened the casing around the outlet to confirm there is no moisture/insect/rodent damage ? At a guess, I'd say either the gauge on the circuit is too small or the breaker too low an amperage, given the conditions in which it's tripping. Dunno about brands specifically, but does Honeywell make em ? I know they make some pretty decent thermostats, which we've always been happy with -- Marc Bissonnette CGI / Database / Web Management Tools: http://www.internalysis.com Looking for a new ISP? http://www.canadianisp.com |
#3
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"Mikhael47" wrote...
My question is, is it reasonable to only expect 2 years of regular service out of a GFCI? What are the recommended brands for outdoor use? I have several installed, both inside and outside. I've replaced 1 in 9 years, and most of them predate my moving in by 5+ years. I have no idea what brand the outdoor units are. |
#4
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Mik;
I'm not an electrician, but have done house wiring more than a few times, including my own home. I've never had a GFI receptacle fail in almost 20 years of their having been installed in my home. One failure of a receptable might constitute a faulty unit. Failures of two would be incredible odds. Any more than than one and I would tend to suspect that the wiring was done improperly. ie Undersized wire overloaded circuit, improperly designed circuits. Mikhael47 wrote: I have an outdoor GFCI outlet. About every two years, I have to replace the outlet. It doesn't trip very often (if at all) between the time I install the new one, and the time it finally starts to trip constantly. I do run pond equipment on this circuit all summer. It seems to fail in the winter time when I either plug my truck's block heater in, or I try and start my snowblower. It doesn't trip if I plug my xmas lights into it. I am not an expert electrician, however when I built our home, I was present when the wiring for the house was done. I can confirm that there is no damage to the circuit cabling. This leads me to believe that the GFCI itself is failing. If I replace the GFCI it will work as expected. My question is, is it reasonable to only expect 2 years of regular service out of a GFCI? What are the recommended brands for outdoor use? Thanks Mike |
#5
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Eunoia Eigensinn wrote:
Mik; I'm not an electrician, but have done house wiring more than a few times, including my own home.* I've never had a GFI receptacle fail in almost 20 years of their having been installed in my home.** * This may or may not be true. Euni is a famous prankster! Beware. ** This may or may not be true. One failure of a receptable might constitute a faulty unit.* Failures of two would be incredible odds.** * This may or may not be true. ** This may or may not be true. Any more than than one and I would tend to suspect that the wiring was done improperly.* * This may or may not be true. ie Undersized wire overloaded circuit, improperly designed circuits.* * This may or may not be true. Another Herb PSA Mikhael47 wrote: I have an outdoor GFCI outlet. About every two years, I have to replace the outlet. It doesn't trip very often (if at all) between the time I install the new one, and the time it finally starts to trip constantly. I do run pond equipment on this circuit all summer. It seems to fail in the winter time when I either plug my truck's block heater in, or I try and start my snowblower. It doesn't trip if I plug my xmas lights into it. I am not an expert electrician, however when I built our home, I was present when the wiring for the house was done. I can confirm that there is no damage to the circuit cabling. This leads me to believe that the GFCI itself is failing. If I replace the GFCI it will work as expected. My question is, is it reasonable to only expect 2 years of regular service out of a GFCI? What are the recommended brands for outdoor use? Thanks Mike |
#6
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"Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote in message ups.com... Mik; I'm not an electrician, but have done house wiring more than a few times, including my own home. I've never had a GFI receptacle fail in almost 20 years of their having been installed in my home. One failure of a receptable might constitute a faulty unit. Failures of two would be incredible odds. Any more than than one and I would tend to suspect that the wiring was done improperly. ie Undersized wire overloaded circuit, improperly designed circuits. Yes, I've checked all that. I have other GFCI's that are wired identically. I have not checked for rodent/insect damage yet this time, however, last time it seemed fine. I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike |
#7
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Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. |
#8
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Eunoia Eigensinn wrote:
Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. One must, of course, be able to discern the wheat from the chaff out there on the 'net. Since you seem to be the authority on the subject, perhaps you already have some sites in mind you can recommend? ....or haven't you Googled enough yet yourself to find them yet? |
#9
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Joe Canuck wrote:
Eunoia Eigensinn wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. One must, of course, be able to discern the wheat from the chaff out there on the 'net. Since you seem to be the authority on the subject, perhaps you already have some sites in mind you can recommend? ...or haven't you Googled enough yet yourself to find them yet? Yes, and don't forget to Google for "Eigensinn + hoax" while you're at it! You'll hit the lottery of Google hits! http://tinyurl.com/63bfj Make sure you are well grounded and well linsured before taking any tips to heart from this ****-stick. Herb |
#10
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Herb Tarlek wrote:
Joe Canuck wrote: Eunoia Eigensinn wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. One must, of course, be able to discern the wheat from the chaff out there on the 'net. Since you seem to be the authority on the subject, perhaps you already have some sites in mind you can recommend? ...or haven't you Googled enough yet yourself to find them yet? Yes, and don't forget to Google for "Eigensinn + hoax" while you're at it! You'll hit the lottery of Google hits! http://tinyurl.com/63bfj Make sure you are well grounded and well linsured before taking any tips to heart from this ****-stick. In addition to being well linsured, make sure you are also well insured. Herb Herb |
#11
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In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote:
Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... |
#12
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Doug Miller wrote: In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... Actually, you would benefit from your own advice: Think about it. For instance, it's not unreasonable for an outdoor receptacle point of use to be 100 ft from the breaker panel. I'll leave you to take it from there. |
#13
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In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote:
Doug Miller wrote: In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... Actually, you would benefit from your own advice: Think about it. For instance, it's not unreasonable for an outdoor receptacle point of use to be 100 ft from the breaker panel. I'll leave you to take it from there. And what's the resistance of 100 feet of 12- or 14-gauge wire? |
#14
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"Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote in message oups.com... Doug Miller wrote: In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... Actually, you would benefit from your own advice: Think about it. For instance, it's not unreasonable for an outdoor receptacle point of use to be 100 ft from the breaker panel. I'll leave you to take it from there. I agree with you on this one.... The length of the run involved is quite long (about 100ft considering I have two other outlets on the same circuit). I'd be worried that it wouldn't trip fast enough if the GFI was at the panel. I think I'll nix that idea. |
#15
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"Mikhael47" wrote in message ... "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote in message oups.com... Doug Miller wrote: In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... Actually, you would benefit from your own advice: Think about it. For instance, it's not unreasonable for an outdoor receptacle point of use to be 100 ft from the breaker panel. I'll leave you to take it from there. I agree with you on this one.... The length of the run involved is quite long (about 100ft considering I have two other outlets on the same circuit). I'd be worried that it wouldn't trip fast enough if the GFI was at the panel. I think I'll nix that idea. What the .... does the distance from the panel have to do with anything? Electrocution current is on the order of milliamps. Bob |
#16
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Bob wrote:
"Mikhael47" wrote in message ... "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote in message groups.com... Doug Miller wrote: In article .com, "Eunoia Eigensinn" wrote: Mikhael47 wrote: [snip] I also have a breaker on this circuit. I may just swap it out for a GFCI breaker instead. Mike Mike; That may not be a good idea. I have GFI breakers at the panel for all of my outdoor circuits and interior circuits like those to bathroom & kitchen outlets. But I also have GFI outlet receptacles installed. A pointless waste of time and money, as those circuits _already_have_ ground fault protection from the GFI breakers. What do you suppose the GFI receptacles provide, that the GFI breakers do not? The GFI breakers protect the wiring but will not do much to prevent someone from being electrocuted at the point of use. Half right, anyway: GFI breakers do protect the wiring. But they also provide ground-fault protection against electrocution. Think about it for just two seconds: you described accurately the behavior of a *standard* (non-GFI) breaker. Now how might a GFI breaker behave differently? Hint: what do the letters GFI stand for? Do some Googling on the subject and you should find an authoritative explanation. You seem to be in need of one yourself... Actually, you would benefit from your own advice: Think about it. For instance, it's not unreasonable for an outdoor receptacle point of use to be 100 ft from the breaker panel. I'll leave you to take it from there. I agree with you on this one.... The length of the run involved is quite long (about 100ft considering I have two other outlets on the same circuit). I'd be worried that it wouldn't trip fast enough if the GFI was at the panel. I think I'll nix that idea. What the .... does the distance from the panel have to do with anything? Electrocution current is on the order of milliamps. Bob Time, distance and reaction time. Quite simple really. |
#17
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"Joe Canuck" wrote in message ... What the .... does the distance from the panel have to do with anything? Electrocution current is on the order of milliamps. Bob Time, distance and reaction time. Quite simple really. Care to explain? It's not so simple to this EE. Bob |
#18
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Bob wrote: "Joe Canuck" wrote in message ... What the .... does the distance from the panel have to do with anything? Electrocution current is on the order of milliamps. Bob Time, distance and reaction time. Quite simple really. Care to explain? It's not so simple to this EE. Bob I am superstitious and do not understand the properties of electricity. What is the benefit of placing the GFI at the outlet as opposed to the panel (or vice versa)? Mike |
#19
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wrote in message I am superstitious and do not understand the properties of electricity. What is the benefit of placing the GFI at the outlet as opposed to the panel (or vice versa)? Outlet GFI's are a lot cheaper. Bob |
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