Electrical1234567
Member
- Location
- Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician
I completely agree.
Haven’t had any issues with it having problems again. But we only swapped maybe a floors worth so who know what will happen if we swap all 164 units worth.
Nuisance tripping GFI breakers
- Thread starter Electrical1234567
- Start date
mtnelect
HVAC & Electrical Contractor
- Location
- Southern California
- Occupation
- Contractor, C10 & C20 - Semi Retired
Are the circuits you are having trouble with, are they AC units ? If that is the case, all AC units now use variable speed compressors, which are notoriously causing GFCI to trip.
mtnelect
HVAC & Electrical Contractor
- Location
- Southern California
- Occupation
- Contractor, C10 & C20 - Semi Retired
This is a detail look into GFCI circuits.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
And this is the result for every 2-pole breaker you have swapped, regardless if the original phasing was single phase AB, BC, or CA? Have you had any problem with 1-pole devices?
Electrical1234567
Member
- Location
- Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician
Yes. Doesn’t matter breaker size or what the load is and doesn’t matter what phase they are landed too. All our single poles are afci/gfci combos and had no issue with any of them. Only the 2 poles.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
It’s more and more looking like a bad batch, but it’s weird that they start working by just moving them….. I wonder if someone is pulling a prank on you? I had a customer where two specific breakers in two panels would randomly trip at the same time. I put a voltage recorder on them, and locked only one panel. While I was in the truck on a conference call, the manager came running out saying it tripped again. But this time only one was tripped (actually in the off position) in the panel that wasn’t locked. We put a hidden camera in, turns out, it was the pharmacist turning them off. He was mad that they were building a new store a couple of miles away, and closing that one. He didn’t have to worry any more about the move! LOL!
MyCleveland
Senior Member
- Location
- Cleveland, Ohio
PLEASE!!!....keep us posted on this. Has been a tick in my pea-brain...I need to know.
Electrical1234567
Member
- Location
- Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician
In case anyone is still interested in this thread, This is the response we received from Eaton. We still plan to have the power company out to make sure there’s no issue on there end. Still doesn’t make a lot of sense but I’m not entirely sure where to go from here.
As discussed, please advise them to move the GF breakers to a different circuit in the LC. See below:
Eaton 30/2 and 40/2 breakers with an tripping issue.
As discussed, please advise them to move the GF breakers to a different circuit in the LC. See below:
Eaton 30/2 and 40/2 breakers with an tripping issue.
- 3 phase 120/208V systems – breaker may trip even without load wires connected to it. Usually breaker will trip as soon as it is reset.
- 85% of the time, moving the beaker up/down one spot in the panel resolves the issue or change wiring on the load side of the breaker feeding the loadcenter. Doing so changes which 120V phase (leg) feeds power into the breaker’s circuit board. This is due to power quality issues present on one phase and not the other.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Sounds like you have PQ issues on all phases
Cobradley
Member
- Location
- Boston, ma
- Occupation
- Electrician
Had same issue. 14 unit building (single phase each unit). 120/208 service. Eaton BR 30amp gfi breaker wouldn’t hold or reset in 9 units. Moved breaker down one slot, no problems since. Have been using the Eaton BR series since the gfci requirements came in, never had any complications like this with single phase services
Electrical1234567
Member
- Location
- Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician
You never had the power company come to see if they had any phase quality issues?
Cobradley
Member
- Location
- Boston, ma
- Occupation
- Electrician
Didn’t contact them. I’m guessing they would maintain it’s not a utility issue.
letgomywago
Senior Member
- Location
- Washington state and Oregon coast
- Occupation
- residential electrician
They have to be told to come now or deal with utility commission after you demonstrate its all them and demand compensation. They'll send a trouble man out quick. Like said earlier you need to say partial outage.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Probably not their problem, the non linear loads on the premises is very likely the source of the problem. If one tried using these at a time when loading were minimal they possibly work at that time.
I think Eaton needs to redesign their units to be more resistant to this and/or stop being so involved with pushing for AFCI and GFCI protection requirements in new codes if they can't make units that handle such problems.
mtnelect
HVAC & Electrical Contractor
- Location
- Southern California
- Occupation
- Contractor, C10 & C20 - Semi Retired
Get a bucket of water and look into it, using the "Nostradamus Method" !