GFI Receptacle trips

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cka

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I wired a bathroom with two seperate circuits. One 20 amp for the gfi receptacle from the load side of this to the second receptacle in the same bathroom. One 15 amp circuit for the lights and two fans in the same bathroom. I have a single gang box for the each receptacle. Light switches and wires are far apart from the receptacles and the wiring from these receptacles. When I turn on one of the fans, not always but maybe every other 3rd or 4th time it trips the gfi. I would like know if any of you experienced something like this and what the cause could be.

Thanks,

Jason.
 
My interpretation was that the fan (not on a GFCI circuit) trips the receptacle (on the GFCI circuit). Is that right?

Are they sharing a neutral, by chance?
 
I was kind of thinking the same thing as Charlie. I know he said two seperate circuits, but could the neutrals have gotten crossed or interconnected by mistake?
 
So the fans are not on the 20 amp circuit which has the GFCI receptacles that are tripping?
 
Can the GFCI then successfully be reset while the fan is running?
If so then it is probably not a cross/mixed neutral issue.
I have seen this many times.
GFCI receptacles are susceptible to electrical noise created when a fan is switched on/off. Not necessarily the problem you have, but one possibility.
 
boboelectric said:
One 15 amp circuit, one 20 amp circuit? Hard to mix up.
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True, but you don't know how many times I've seen box make up errors where the installer must have been taught "just twist all the whites together".
 
mdshunk said:
True, but you don't know how many times I've seen box make up errors where the installer must have been taught "just twist all the whites together".
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True, but would a incorrect splice cause an intermittent problem?
 
infinity said:
True, but would a incorrect splice cause an intermittent problem?
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Nope, I was just addressing that one little thing. If I had to make a guess, I'd guess that this is one of the 4 dollar GFCI's that they sell in the backs of electrical magazines. Change it out to the latest generation GFCI. Some of the new Panasonic exhaust fans, for reasons very unclear to me, will trip an old GFCI installed in the same room as the fan, even though they're on seperate circuits.
 
mdshunk said:
Change it out to the latest generation GFCI. Some of the new Panasonic exhaust fans, for reasons very unclear to me, will trip an old GFCI installed in the same room as the fan, even though they're on seperate circuits.
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What if the GFI is in the next room? :grin:
 
boboelectric said:
One 15 amp circuit, one 20 amp circuit? Hard to mix up.
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That may be true, but I just came from a job where the guy didn't secure any of his conduits because he "forgot".

Just because we don't see it a lot doesn't mean it can't happen.
 
mdshunk said:
It will suddenly start singing old Frank Sinatra songs? Beats me. I'm just relating what I've observed.
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I just found it odd that two different branch circuits that just happen to be in the same room, conflict each other....
 
I wired this home by myself and there are 2 one gang boxes one for the
gfi and one for the second receptacle which is from the load side of the gfi. Two12 awg romex only in one box (gfi line and load) one 12 awg romex only in the second box (wire from load side of the gfi) I have 5 switches one 3 gang and one 2 gang all on a seperate 15 amp circuit which are far apart from my 20 amp gfi and receptacle. I now it is kind of strange but there must be a reason why my gfi trips. My wild guess is my load side wire somehow got crushed with one of the other circuits up in the attic and two neutrals are touching each other.
 
Marc I just read your reply you may be right this is the first time I tried this cheaper brand gfi which was $30.00 bucks for a six pack. I usually use leviton brand.
 
mdshunk said:
Change it out to the latest generation GFCI. Some of the new Panasonic exhaust fans, for reasons very unclear to me, will trip an old GFCI installed in the same room as the fan, even though they're on seperate circuits.
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Many newer GFCIs have improved electrical noise immunity. Leviton is one that has improved but is still not guaranteed not to trip on electrical noise -depending upon the source. Fans tripping GFCI's has been so common that my guess is that they have improved at least enough to cover most fans.

Opening the switch on the inductive fan load creates an arc that emits a broadband RF emission. This electrial noise can be coupled either by radiating into adjacent wiring or being conducted.
 
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