GFCI Question

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I am working on a Wendy's and am having a problem with one of there Chili Cookers. The manufacture wanted (2) separate circuits / (1) for each cooker. It worked fine for about 6 months and now the internals in one gave out. I opened it up and it looks like the solders to the solenoids gave out. The second was working fine but as of yesterday, it doesn't work with the GFCI. When I move it to a non GFCI it works fine. If I plug something else in the GFCI it works fine as well. Out of curiosity, I moved the cooker to a GFCI on a different circuit and it works. What gives????
 
GFCI Question

I am working on a Wendy's and am having a problem with one of there Chili Cookers. The manufacture wanted (2) separate circuits / (1) for each cooker. It worked fine for about 6 months and now the internals in one gave out. I opened it up and it looks like the solders to the solenoids gave out. The second was working fine but as of yesterday, it doesn't work with the GFCI. When I move it to a non GFCI it works fine. If I plug something else in the GFCI it works fine as well. Out of curiosity, I moved the cooker to a GFCI on a different circuit and it works. What gives????
 
No. I ran 2 hots with separate neutrals. I went back. Looks like the other GFCI they were plugging into was not working properly so it allowed the cooker to run without any problems. There is some short inside if it. I'm going to tell them to return it to the manufacture.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Did you try it in the GFCI again after plugging it into the non GFCI protected outlet?

Is possible a fault that barely lets enough current through to trip GFCI is possibly cleared if allowed to "burn out" the problem - maybe just a little moisture in the wrong place burns off.

That or they just used too much chili powder in their recipe:cool:
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Two strong possibilities:
1. There is insulation leakage from line to the metal parts of the cooker that is right at the threshold for a GFCI trip.
2. Same but with capacitive leakage instead of resistive.

Try measuring the current in the EGC when connected to a non-GFCI breaker.
This may not work if there is another ground path besides the wire EGC.
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
All good suggestions so far. As a last resort change out the GFCI receptacle. After 6 months of continuous use a component inside the GFCI may have gone bad or drifted off its original specs.
 
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