soda machine trips gfi

[Jeff80]

I have had this problem at different times but a soda machine is plugged into a gfi for years and then it will trip the gfi. So i replace the gfi and it will still trip the gfi but a different soda machine will not trip the gfi. The ckt breaker will always hold. Now i have the same issue with a refridgerator at home in my garage. What is happening and why? Its a high ohm leakage?

Someone told me old compressors will do this.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Gfci , measures what goes out and returns. If the same amount does not return then it trips.

Charlie , below, worded it much nicer then I could have.

 

[charlie b]

If one machine trips a GFCI, and another, similar machine does not, then the first machine has an internal electrical fault. The first GFCI was doing its job, so there was no need to replace it. Some amount of current, perhaps as low as 3 milliamps, is leaking from the machine?s wiring system through to its external metal parts, and from there back to the panel via the EGC.

Since the breaker is not tripping, then the fault has a high enough resistance that it does not produce a large fault current. So it could be old or damaged wiring, or something within the compressor motor, or almost anything.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Hermetic -refrigerant motors produce internal " arcing" that will trip some gfi's. That is why the code does not require a GFI outle on fridges. I would change the receptacle in your garage to a regular receptacle. About the sode machine,,,,,if it's in public,,,it has to be GFI'd,,,,,,but if it's in an office,,,,change it too. (uness you're on 08',,, then they're required on vending machines)

 

[tom baker]

Hermetic -refrigerant motors produce internal " arcing" that will trip some gfi's. That is why the code does not require a GFI outle on fridges. I would change the receptacle in your garage to a regular receptacle. About the sode machine,,,,,if it's in public,,,it has to be GFI'd,,,,,,but if it's in an office,,,,change it too. (uness you're on 08',,, then they're required on vending machines)

Actually the vending machine requirement was added to the 2005 NEC.
The 2008 NEC removes the exceptions for basement and garage receptacles for an appliance were the receptacle is not readily accessible, the comment on this change was the UL product standard has limited leakage on refridgerators to 0.5 mA for some time, the exception is no longer needed.