I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?

Cliff Hartle wrote:
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?


RFI shielding to protect other devices (radios or phones)?

That's what I would think but what about an air conditioner needs shielding?

"LouB" wrote in message
...
Cliff Hartle wrote:
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline
GFCI to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was
wondering how I would figure out which side was black and which was
white. Well I looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white,
black and a green conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were
wrapped with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together
plugged into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?
RFI shielding to protect other devices (radios or phones)?

Cliff Hartle wrote:
That's what I would think but what about an air conditioner needs shielding?

Agree it sounds weird so can you contact the mfg? Maybe even via a website.

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was
wondering how I would figure out which side was black and which was white.
Well I looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a
green conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were
wrapped with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?



*Are you sure that was a GFCI on the end and not an AFCI?

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline
GFCI to replace what was there.

So why the "shielding"?



*Are you sure that was a GFCI on the end and not an AFCI?


http://www.peterspirito.com/afci_faq.htm
What are the National Electrical Code® requirements for AFCI's?

AFCI's were added to the 1999 National Electrical Code® in Section 210-12
for bedroom receptacle outlets beginning on January 1, 2002.

The 2002 NEC® (Section 210.12) requires AFCI's for all bedroom circuit
outlets. An outlet is defined as any point on the wiring system at which
current is taken to supply utilization equipment. This includes receptacles,
lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, smoke alarms, etc.

The 2005 NEC® (Section 210.12) has the same requirements for bedroom circuit
outlets with one exception - the wording changes to specifically require a
Combination Type AFCI beginning January 1, 2008. In all cases the
requirement is to protect the entire branch circuit.

NEC® Article 100 Definitions

..Branch Circuit - The current conductors between the final overcurrent
device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s).
..Outlet - A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply
utilization equipment.
Please see the NEC® for the exact wording of the requirements. Some areas
may adopt other effective dates and may expand the requirements beyond the
bedroom circuits. Contact your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to
verify code requirements for your area.

Why do the 1999, 2002, and 2005 versions of the NEC® require AFCI protection
for only bedroom circuits?

NFPA fire statistics show that a high percentage of electrical fires occur
in bedrooms. There are many appliance cords in bedrooms, for example,
radios, clocks, blankets, air conditioners, heaters, TVs, vacuums, as well
as, lamp cords. All of these cords can be trapped/abused leading to arcing
faults. Further, there are long runs of installed wiring (M-B, "Romex")
between the loadcenter and the bedroom outlets. The wiring can be abused
during installation (e.g. stapling) and after installation (driving nails
into the wall etc.) Therefore, the most logical room to start with would be
the bedroom.

On May 29, 9:24*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"John Grabowski" wrote in message

...

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. *I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline
GFCI to replace what was there.
So why the "shielding"?

*Are you sure that was a GFCI on the end and not an AFCI?

http://www.peterspirito.com/afci_faq.htm
What are the National Electrical Code® requirements for AFCI's?

AFCI's were added to the 1999 National Electrical Code® in Section 210-12
for bedroom receptacle outlets beginning on January 1, 2002.

The 2002 NEC® (Section 210.12) requires AFCI's for all bedroom circuit
outlets. An outlet is defined as any point on the wiring system at which
current is taken to supply utilization equipment. This includes receptacles,
lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, smoke alarms, etc.

The 2005 NEC® (Section 210.12) has the same requirements for bedroom circuit
outlets with one exception - the wording changes to specifically require a
Combination Type AFCI beginning January 1, 2008. In all cases the
requirement is to protect the entire branch circuit.

NEC® Article 100 Definitions

.Branch Circuit - The current conductors between the final overcurrent
device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s).
.Outlet - A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply
utilization equipment.
Please see the NEC® for the exact wording of the requirements. Some areas
may adopt other effective dates and may expand the requirements beyond the
bedroom circuits. Contact your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to
verify code requirements for your area.

Why do the 1999, 2002, and 2005 versions of the NEC® require AFCI protection
for only bedroom circuits?

NFPA fire statistics show that a high percentage of electrical fires occur
in bedrooms. There are many appliance cords in bedrooms, for example,
radios, clocks, blankets, air conditioners, heaters, TVs, vacuums, as well
as, lamp cords. All of these cords can be trapped/abused leading to arcing
faults. Further, there are long runs of installed wiring (M-B, "Romex")
between the loadcenter and the bedroom outlets. The wiring can be abused
during installation (e.g. stapling) and after installation (driving nails
into the wall etc.) Therefore, the most logical room to start with would be
the bedroom.

Also, people sllep in bedrooms and maynot awake in time.

the braid is likely to protect other devices in room for RF spikes off
the air conditioner

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline
GFCI to replace what was there.

So why the "shielding"?



*Are you sure that was a GFCI on the end and not an AFCI?


http://www.peterspirito.com/afci_faq.htm
What are the National Electrical Code® requirements for AFCI's?

AFCI's were added to the 1999 National Electrical Code® in Section 210-12
for bedroom receptacle outlets beginning on January 1, 2002.

The 2002 NEC® (Section 210.12) requires AFCI's for all bedroom circuit
outlets. An outlet is defined as any point on the wiring system at which
current is taken to supply utilization equipment. This includes
receptacles, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, smoke alarms, etc.

The 2005 NEC® (Section 210.12) has the same requirements for bedroom
circuit outlets with one exception - the wording changes to specifically
require a Combination Type AFCI beginning January 1, 2008. In all cases
the requirement is to protect the entire branch circuit.

NEC® Article 100 Definitions

.Branch Circuit - The current conductors between the final overcurrent
device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s).
.Outlet - A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply
utilization equipment.
Please see the NEC® for the exact wording of the requirements. Some areas
may adopt other effective dates and may expand the requirements beyond the
bedroom circuits. Contact your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)
to verify code requirements for your area.

Why do the 1999, 2002, and 2005 versions of the NEC® require AFCI
protection for only bedroom circuits?

NFPA fire statistics show that a high percentage of electrical fires occur
in bedrooms. There are many appliance cords in bedrooms, for example,
radios, clocks, blankets, air conditioners, heaters, TVs, vacuums, as well
as, lamp cords. All of these cords can be trapped/abused leading to arcing
faults. Further, there are long runs of installed wiring (M-B, "Romex")
between the loadcenter and the bedroom outlets. The wiring can be abused
during installation (e.g. stapling) and after installation (driving nails
into the wall etc.) Therefore, the most logical room to start with would
be the bedroom.


*Article 440.65 of the 2008 NEC requires a leakage detector or an AFCI on
corded room air conditioners..

Cliff Hartle wrote:
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

Did you test the outlet before chopping the cord off?

On May 29, 6:39*pm, "Cliff Hartle" wrote:
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. *I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. *As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. *Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. *I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?

I question why you would want or need a gfi on a window unit.

"ransley" wrote in message
...

I question why you would want or need a gfi on a window unit.

Who knows what goes on in the mind that writes the codes. I would guess
that if it is a window unit, someone could be outside on the ground and if
there was a short of the hot wire to the case of the AC then if touched you
could get shocked.

Ralph Mowery wrote:
"ransley" wrote in message
...

I question why you would want or need a gfi on a window unit.

Who knows what goes on in the mind that writes the codes. I would guess
that if it is a window unit, someone could be outside on the ground and if
there was a short of the hot wire to the case of the AC then if touched you
could get shocked.

Ya know what? That's exactly true. I recall some years back a woman
who had been swimming was electrocuted as she tried to enter her hotel
room. At first they kept mentioning that it had an electronic card
reader type lock, but further investigation found a short from the A/C
unit below the front window to the steel door frame.

I also have a window unit with a built in GFCI on the cord.

I didn't check to see if it really was a GFCI I just assumed it was.

As for why its needed, my thought is its an appliance that half sits inside,
half outside and the base is full of water.

You know the whole water and electricity don't mix.


"Cliff Hartle" wrote in message
...
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was
wondering how I would figure out which side was black and which was white.
Well I looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a
green conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were
wrapped with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?

On May 30, 9:43*am, "Cliff Hartle" wrote:
I didn't check to see if it really was a GFCI I just assumed it was.

As for why its needed, my thought is its an appliance that half sits inside,
half outside and the base is full of water.

You know the whole water and electricity don't mix.

That makes perfect sense. It is really an outdoor appliance and so
ought to be gfi protected. Maybe I'll put a plug-in gfi on my window
unit. That'll be this weekend's trip to the big-box.

I would also guess (no stronger word) that the shield is for RF and is
not an electrical-safety component. See if you can expose the shield
in the remnants of the cut-off plug, and use an ohmmeter to see if
it's connected to the ground pin. If so, you can maybe connect it to
the ground in the replacement plug too.

But if it's also connected to the grounded chassis of the a/c unit,
that's probably all that's needed. In shielded communications cables
(ie, old rs-232 cables), the shields were *not* to be connected at
both ends, to prevent ground loop currents between equipment with
different earth potentials (common in large buildings). I can't see
that that could arise here. But the point is that the shield only
needs one ground connection point to be effective.

Now, why would the old gfi plug not reset? Maybe the unit has
developed an internal short? On the old plug that you cut off, if you
can safely insulate all the conductors that are coming out of it, try
plugging it in and seeing if it will reset now. If so, that a/c unit
probably has a real problem.

Chip C
Toronto

On 5/29/2010 6:39 PM, Cliff Hartle wrote:
I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?



Back in the early 1970's I worked for an electrical supplier when ground
fault breakers first became widely available. One of the problems with
the new fangled devices was RF sensitivity, the breakers would trip
every time someone keyed the transmitter on a ham or CB radio. It's
quite possible that the shielding is to prevent spurious tripping of the
built in ground fault for the AC unit. It may be that it is so sensitive
to RF from things like cordless phones or cellphones that the shielding
proved to be a necessity.

TDD

On Sat, 29 May 2010 19:39:56 -0400, "Cliff Hartle"
wrote:

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?


I think the device is supposed to shut off power if the cord is
damaged. Like if your dog bites into the cord, connecting one of the
conductors to that "shield" through conductive canine saliva.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"At one point in time, many of us actually had Jesus as our personal
lord and saviour. Unfortunately, we later had to dismiss him for
incompetence, gross negligence, misconduct and consistent failure to

show up for work."

On Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:21:05 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On Sat, 29 May 2010 19:39:56 -0400, "Cliff Hartle"
wrote:

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?


I think the device is supposed to shut off power if the cord is
damaged. Like if your dog bites into the cord, connecting one of the
conductors to that "shield" through conductive canine saliva.
I think we have a winner!!!!!

On 6/6/2010 7:21 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Sat, 29 May 2010 19:39:56 -0400, "Cliff
wrote:

I installed my window air conditioner and the GFCI on the end of the cord
would not reset. I figured I would replace the plug and get an inline GFCI
to replace what was there.

I cut the plug off the end of the cord. As I was doing this I was wondering
how I would figure out which side was black and which was white. Well I
looked at the cut end and to my relief I saw a white, black and a green
conductor inside the sheath, OK a piece of cake.

As I cut back the sheath I found that the white and black wires were wrapped
with a copper shield like the outer conductor in CATV cable.

I was like what was I supposed to do with this shield. I cut it back the
"shield" to keep it away from the terminals, put the plug together plugged
into the GFCI and every thing worked.

So why the "shielding"?


I think the device is supposed to shut off power if the cord is
damaged. Like if your dog bites into the cord, connecting one of the
conductors to that "shield" through conductive canine saliva.

My sister and husband had a weird dog that would get mad and run
about the house pulling electrical cords from the wall sockets.
One time the goofy canine bit in to a live one and after a long
session of yelping, decided not to ever do that again.

TDD