Multiple GFCI outlets

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larrycad

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I am seeing a situation which occurs in the RV world involving GFCI outlets. Keep in mind that an RV electrical system has the ground and neutrals isolated, and also have at least one GFCI outlet circuit. Also, many times an RV owner plugs his RV into an outlet at his house. Frequently this house outlet is in the garage and is also a GFCI. What I am seeing it that in this situation one or the other of the two GFCI outlets will trip, typically the GFCI in the house (garage). Thorough checking does not produce any electrical problems, and the solution seems to be to remove the GFCI in the garage and replace it with a standard outlet.

Question: Is there an acceptable technical reason why plugging a GFCI into another GFCI protected circuit can cause a problem?


Thanks for the help,
Larry
 
I have an RV and have plugged it into a GFCI without any problems.:smile:

Using an adaptor would not change anything. :confused:

Actually if you installed a 120v 30a RV outlet it would not have to be GFCI protected.
 
090218-1208 EST

I think it implies leakage current. Possibly neutral and the ECG are connected together on entry to the RV and before the GFCI in the RV. Do a resistance check between neutral and the ground pin on entry to the RV. This might mean at the plug end of the cord to the RV since there may be no input connector on the side of the RV.

Also might need to look for capacitance between either hot or neutral and the EGC.

.
 
larrycad said:
Thorough checking does not produce any electrical problems, and the solution seems to be to remove the GFCI in the garage and replace it with a standard outlet.

Question: Is there an acceptable technical reason why plugging a GFCI into another GFCI protected circuit can cause a problem?
Click to expand...
There are two things here.

One: Removing GFCI protection from a receptacle in an area where the receptacle is required by Code to have GFCI protection creates a problem. This can be called a Code violation and a hazard. The receptacle is not GFCI protected when the RV is gone.

Two: The longer the wires, the more the "bleed" current will be. The GFCI receptacle inside an RV will see bleed current only from the load plugged into it. The GFCI protected receptacle inside the dwelling will see the same bleed current from the load, and will also see the bleed current from all the wiring energized by the RV power cord. So, if you plug in a load inside the RV, into the RV's GFCI receptacle, a load that has a bleed of 3 milliamps, then the 3 milliamps is not enough to trip the RV GFCI. Adding that 3 milliamp load bleed to, say, hypothetically, the whole RV's bleed of 3 milliamps, then the GFCI protected receptalce inside the garage has a total of 6 (six) milliamps bleed to ground and that GFCI will trip.

There is no technical problem. Both GFCIs are doing what they are supposed to do.
 
larrycad said:
I am seeing a situation which occurs in the RV world involving GFCI outlets. Keep in mind that an RV electrical system has the ground and neutrals isolated, and also have at least one GFCI outlet circuit. Also, many times an RV owner plugs his RV into an outlet at his house. Frequently this house outlet is in the garage and is also a GFCI. What I am seeing it that in this situation one or the other of the two GFCI outlets will trip, typically the GFCI in the house (garage). Thorough checking does not produce any electrical problems, and the solution seems to be to remove the GFCI in the garage and replace it with a standard outlet.

Question: Is there an acceptable technical reason why plugging a GFCI into another GFCI protected circuit can cause a problem?


Thanks for the help,
Larry
Click to expand...

The extension cord your using to plug trailer in wasn't one with clear lighted end was it? All of the ones I've seen reference both ground and neutral.

Something simple but might have been over looked.

GMc
 
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