Home GFCI tripping

[ggunn]

My house was built in 1987. There is a GFCI circuit that supplies exterior receptacles as well as those in the two bathrooms and the garage. I have never had trouble with it until recently. Nowadays whenever I need to use one of those receptacles after a couple of days of non use, I have to reset it (the button on the receptacle in the guest bathroom). Nothing at any of the receptacles seems wet, and wet or dry weather doesn't make any difference. It trips with nothing plugged in to the circuit.

Should I just replace the GFCI receptacle in the bathroom and see what happens? Is GFCI even done the same way any more?

 

[K8MHZ]

I have had a GFCI trip when unplugging a blow dryer. At first I thought the GFCI was tripping randomly, but one day I noticed what was happening. Then, all of a sudden, it quit tripping.

I am not saying I think that is your problem, just sharing one possibility.

 

[Ponchik]

My first try would be to replace the 30 year old GFCI.

 

[ggunn]

I have had a GFCI trip when unplugging a blow dryer. At first I thought the GFCI was tripping randomly, but one day I noticed what was happening. Then, all of a sudden, it quit tripping.

I am not saying I think that is your problem, just sharing one possibility.

Thanks for the idea. The next time I disconnect something from that circuit I will check and see if it is tripped. If I can remember, that is...

 

[K8MHZ]

Thanks for the idea. The next time I disconnect something from that circuit I will check and see if it is tripped. If I can remember, that is...

Oh, you will remember. Maybe not exactly when you were supposed to remember, but you will remember.

 

[kwired]

This was a common practice until they required bathrooms to be separate from other outlets.

Maybe meg the circuit to see if there is some leakage somewhere. Maybe a little dirt accumulation and just enough moisture to give random trip conditions, or a skinned conductor in close proximity to a grounded surface combined with dirt/moisture. Dirt/moisture in one of the receptacles itself? A 30 year old device will probably not look exactly like it did when removed from the box 30 years ago.

Even if the GFCI is working properly, possibly a good idea to not feed thru to some of the outlets from a convenience perspective. Outdoor GFCI protected outlets seem to be prone to more trip conditions and this can be a little inconvenient to some when trying to use their dryers, shavers, or whatever they use and have an outside outlet being the source of the trip. I would be tempted to not feed thru and install separate GFCI receptacle at each outlet location, or at least in each room/area where possible.