enireh
Senior Member
- Location
- Canyon Lake,TX
I have a two pole 20 GFCI breaker feeding a 220v 20 amp receptacle in the green house and we have a 1500 watt heater with blower pluggeg in. Breaker is tripping. all parts are new
two pole 20 GFCI breaker
- Thread starter enireh
- Start date
- Status
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Is it a dedicated circuit to the heater? I admit I'm not very familiar with GFCI breakers, so I looked at some; the ones I saw had a pigtail to neutral bar, so I'd assume the neutral (if there) has to be terminated on the breaker. Is there a neutral from your 240V receptacle? If it's 3 wire, then I'd assume the 2 hots have to put out the same current, otherwise the breaker would sense an unbalance and trip? Have you tried a standard 20A 2p breaker, other equipment in the same receptacle, or isolating the heater from ground (as in a rubber mat under the heater).
Does the heater have a factory bond between neutral/ground? Also, is it required to be on a GFCI breaker?
Does the heater have a factory bond between neutral/ground? Also, is it required to be on a GFCI breaker?
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Is anything plugged into the 240 recep? What is the voltage on the blower and heater? The white wire on the 240v GFCI must be connected to the neutral bar even if everything is 240V
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
It's either the circuit or the heater. Plug something else into the recpt, pull the wires off the breaker and check to see if the circuit reads open on all the wires when nothing is plugged in.
There is a one in a thousand chance it is the breaker.
There is a one in a thousand chance it is the breaker.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
How long does it take before it trips?
I had a new CH 2 pole GFCI that would trip after it had been on a while. Thermal camera picked up one side ran hotter than the other and a FOP confirmed it. Line/load connections were not the problem. Even so, I agree with Dave, not likely the Breaker.
I had a new CH 2 pole GFCI that would trip after it had been on a while. Thermal camera picked up one side ran hotter than the other and a FOP confirmed it. Line/load connections were not the problem. Even so, I agree with Dave, not likely the Breaker.
FionaZuppa
Senior Member
- Location
- AZ
- Occupation
- Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
what type of receptacle is it? a 14- or a 10- ??
- Location
- Massachusetts
FionaZuppa
Senior Member
- Location
- AZ
- Occupation
- Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
well, if N is not needed then both a 6- or 10- would suffice ?? does nema actually call out N or GND pin use between a 6- and 10- ?
enireh
Senior Member
- Location
- Canyon Lake,TX
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
They were talking about NEMA configuration of the plug/receptacle being used.
6-20 would be 20 amp 250 volt rated with a grounding pin
10-20 (not a very common device but exists) would be 20 amp 125/250 volts but has two ungrounded and a grounded neutral pin - no equipment ground.
14-20 would be 20 amp 125/250 but with separate grounded and equipment ground pins.
FionaZuppa
Senior Member
- Location
- AZ
- Occupation
- Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
this is a wiki quote
but, if there is no N then the 3rd pin (non-CCC) can be used for egc. does NEC say no ??
and sure, some of the 10- are rare, and with NEC wanting 14- for new installs 10- might just fade away.
NEC doesnt allow this practice any longer, that is, egc using the N wire.
but, if there is no N then the 3rd pin (non-CCC) can be used for egc. does NEC say no ??
and sure, some of the 10- are rare, and with NEC wanting 14- for new installs 10- might just fade away.
- Status