GFCI breaker

[enireh]

I came across a two pole 20 GFCI breaker servicing swimming pool equipment the white wire that is part of the breaker out of the box, was attached to the neutral bar but no wire was in neutral lug on the breaker. I changed it out to a new one and took the one ground wire going to the equipment and put that into the neutral space on breaker, tied white wire from breaker to ground bar and it trips, so I took it out and installed it back on the ground bar also and the breaker holds. The old breaker was tripping now and then and was a bit weak, also it has a 15.6 amp load so that may have worn it down over time. input?

 

[ActionDave]

You need to connect the pigtail wire on the breaker to the neutral buss, but if there is no load neutral then you leave that spot alone.

 

[JFletcher]

I came across a two pole 20 GFCI breaker servicing swimming pool equipment the white wire that is part of the breaker out of the box, was attached to the neutral bar but no wire was in neutral lug on the breaker. I changed it out to a new one and took the one ground wire going to the equipment and put that into the neutral space on breaker, tied white wire from breaker to ground bar and it trips, so I took it out and installed it back on the ground bar also and the breaker holds. The old breaker was tripping now and then and was a bit weak, also it has a 15.6 amp load so that may have worn it down over time. input?

The existing 2p 20A GFCI breaker was for 2 wire, 208V/240V equipment; it doesnt need a load side neutral to work correctly. The white breaker pigtail does get landed on the neutral bar. The EGC never gets landed on a GFCI breaker. 15.6A is pushing close to the max allowed 16A continuous load for a 20A circuit.

 

[Little Bill]

I came across a two pole 20 GFCI breaker servicing swimming pool equipment the white wire that is part of the breaker out of the box, was attached to the neutral bar but no wire was in neutral lug on the breaker. I changed it out to a new one and took the one ground wire going to the equipment and put that into the neutral space on breaker, tied white wire from breaker to ground bar and it trips, so I took it out and installed it back on the ground bar also and the breaker holds. The old breaker was tripping now and then and was a bit weak, also it has a 15.6 amp load so that may have worn it down over time. input?

You created a neutral to ground fault when you put the EGC in the neutral slot on the breaker. As was said, if the load has no neutral then NOTHING goes is the neutral slot on the breaker.
The breaker has to have it's pigtail connected to the neutral bar. That's how it's internal circuitry gets it's power, like the test function.
Of course if there is a neutral load then it also measures the balance between neutral and ungrounded conductors as the neutral load then flows through the breaker.

 

[iwire]

took the one ground wire going to the equipment and put that into the neutral space on breaker,

In general it is never a good idea to randomly land wires onto terminals. hmy:

 

[jumper]

In general it is never a good idea to randomly land wires onto terminals. hmy:

Unless you like BOOM and the associated smoke, fire, damage and such.