GFCI
- Thread starter darrenh
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chris kennedy
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami Fla.
- Occupation
- 60 yr old tool twisting electrician
Think about 680.22(B). Ever see a pump motor that didn't have a cap on it?
I was asking if it would work without tripping the GFCI breaker. Same question with lights that have capacitors will they work without tripping GFCI breakers?
If a GFCI breaker monitors the current leaving on the hot and coming back on the netural what happens when the capacitor is being charged isnt it going to store a charge causing an imbalance in the current from hot to netural. And if so wouldnt that trip the GFCI?
If a GFCI breaker monitors the current leaving on the hot and coming back on the netural what happens when the capacitor is being charged isnt it going to store a charge causing an imbalance in the current from hot to netural. And if so wouldnt that trip the GFCI?
SG-1
Senior Member
- Location
- Ware Shoals, South Carolina
Inductive kick-back from transformers is known to trip GFCIs. ( Small transformers for pool lights, etc... )
Pool pumps are on GFCIs.
Why would the capacitor cause an imbalance between the ungrounded conductor & the grounded conductor ? So long as the energy follows the constructed route there will be no imbalance. The capacitor is just storing energy then returning it later in the cycle.
If the capacitor is causing a ground fault, then you have an imbalance & the GFCI should trip.
Pool pumps are on GFCIs.
Why would the capacitor cause an imbalance between the ungrounded conductor & the grounded conductor ? So long as the energy follows the constructed route there will be no imbalance. The capacitor is just storing energy then returning it later in the cycle.
If the capacitor is causing a ground fault, then you have an imbalance & the GFCI should trip.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Every three phase pump motor I ever seen did not have a capacitor
Current must have a complete circuit to flow. You can't charge a capacitor by using only one lead, current must flow on both leads. With AC current it is charged, then next half cycle discharged, and charged again in the opposite polarity. Current and voltage will not be in phase with each other, but current will still be at same level at all points within the circuit, therefore GFCI will not see this as an unbalance.
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