Pool Pump Motors with Built-in VFD are Tripping Breakers

JoeStillman said:
Pentai drive/pump, Siemens GFI breakers, some of which have a Pentair sticker over the Siemens label.

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Similar thread on this forum on the Pentair GFCI issues. I had mentioned a Pentair pump install and I used a breaker my supplier designated as a Pentair breaker. PA 220GF. It's a Siemens breaker.

My sales rep for Pentair mentioned they were working on the issue. No matter. I'm a Jandy guy. Better product as far as I'm concerned. Their subs can take a variety of breaker brands. I will however stick with Siemens breakers.
 
JoeStillman said:
Pentai drive/pump, Siemens GFI breakers, some of which have a Pentair sticker over the Siemens label.

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I'd be curious what the miliamps of leakage is, are you able to measure the mA imbalance on L1 and L2?
What I do is a crude test for any GFCI issues, I just swap a breaker with a Siemens GFPE, I have a old used 30A 2-pole 30mA GFPE breaker and a 15 & 20A 1-pole GFPE for this purpose. If it trips a 30mA GFPE then you know its faulty equipment.
 
tortuga said:
I'd be curious what the miliamps of leakage is, are you able to measure the mA imbalance on L1 and L2?
What I do is a crude test for any GFCI issues, I just swap a breaker with a Siemens GFPE, I have a old used 30A 2-pole 30mA GFPE breaker and a 15 & 20A 1-pole GFPE for this purpose. If it trips a 30mA GFPE then you know its faulty equipment.
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They said its tripping even with standard (non-GFCI) breakers so don't think there is a need to spend much time looking and small leakage current.
 
So this is from the AI...

Can triplen harmonics appear to be a ground fault?

Copilot said:​

Yes, triplen harmonics can sometimes appear to be a ground fault. Triplen harmonics, which are the odd multiples of the third harmonic (e.g., 3rd, 9th, 15th), are zero-sequence harmonics 1. These harmonics can cause issues in grounded-wye systems, such as overloading the neutral conductor and causing misoperation of devices due to distorted line-to-neutral voltage 1.

In some cases, methods of sensing zero-sequence or residual current can be influenced by triplen harmonics 2. This can lead to nuisance trips of ground fault protection devices, as the harmonics may be interpreted as ground faults2.

If you're experiencing such issues, it might be helpful to check your system for harmonic distortion and consider using filters to mitigate the effects of triplen harmonics 2.
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JoeStillman said:
I've been wondering if the problem is because we're using 208V split-phase and the L1-G/L2-G references are not the same vectors as they would be if we were using a 120/240V center tapped transformer source. I've had that problem with a 4WD source feeding a 3Ø VFD before, but these are all 1Ø loads. Plus, the breakers are tripping, not the drives. Are these breakers electronic now, instead of good old-fashioned electromechanical?
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Does the nameplate say 208-240? I’ve connected some pentair Intelliflo XF and IntelliPRO that were 240v only and I had to use boost transformers on a 208Y/120v system. I remember calling Pentair to discuss and they told me do not use 208v.


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