Vending machine keeps tripping gfi plug

[Chris P]

Hey guys. I’m been having a problem with two vending machines in a laundromat. Both of the vending machine have no compressor and run about 3 amps. Both machine come on and run for random amounts of time from 30 mins to 3 hours and eventually trip the gfi plug. Both machines have their own dedicated circuit breaker in separate boxes but were feed with a 12/3 cable so they were sharing a neutral. I ran new 2 -12/2 dedicated lines and still the same problem. The customer placed a exstention cord on one machine and plugged it into a different outlet 7 ft away and the machine seems to be running fine. I’m at a loss here and not sure what else I can do. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[LarryFine]

Welcome to the forum.

What kind of machines?

 

[480sparky]

Megger the machines at 100 volts and see what you get.

 

[Coppersmith]

Sounds like you only checked one machine at a different outlet. Check both. Make sure you give them sufficient time to trip the gfcis. That said, GFCI's that are built into the plug should be uneffected by anything happening line side of the plug.

 

[jim dungar]

Checking a machine on a non-GFCI circuit tells you nothing about its ability to work, or not, on a GFCI circuit.

 

[Coppersmith]

Unless there is something so weird about the circuit that it causes problems. Shouldn't happen, but let's rule it out.

 

[ptonsparky]

Are the machines provided by a vendor that services them or owned by the customer?

Are these the only two GFCI in the building that trip?

 

[hillbilly1]

Hey guys. I’m been having a problem with two vending machines in a laundromat. Both of the vending machine have no compressor and run about 3 amps. Both machine come on and run for random amounts of time from 30 mins to 3 hours and eventually trip the gfi plug. Both machines have their own dedicated circuit breaker in separate boxes but were feed with a 12/3 cable so they were sharing a neutral. I ran new 2 -12/2 dedicated lines and still the same problem. The customer placed a exstention cord on one machine and plugged it into a different outlet 7 ft away and the machine seems to be running fine. I’m at a loss here and not sure what else I can do. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

3 amps is kinda high for non-compressor vending machine, so it must be the lighting load, and that being said, must be old fashion fluorescent. Would say it was the ballast, but would be unusual for two machines to have the same problem. Might be worth a shot though to disconnect the ballast to see if the problem goes away.

 

[hbiss]

If these are machines with GFCI plugs the problem can only be with the machines. Are they new? When did this start happening?

The customer placed a extension cord on one machine and plugged it into a different outlet 7 ft away and the machine seems to be running fine.

Yeah, OK. Two problems there. One is the customer did this and you are taking his word for it. The other is that you might want to check and see that the extension cord has a ground and that the receptacle has one also.

-Hal

 

[ptonsparky]

If these are machines with GFCI plugs the problem can only be with the machines. Are they new? When did this start happening?



Yeah, OK. Two problems there. One is the customer did this and you are taking his word for it. The other is that you might want to check and see that the extension cord has a ground and that the receptacle has one also.

-Hal

Yes, that exact situation was a learning experience for my help.

 

[FionaZuppa]

Is it an immediate trip, does it random trip?
These are cap-cord gfi's?

You have a handy-dandy recept box where you can inline your amp meter to any CCC or the EGC between load and wall recept, right?

How much mA is leaking onto the EGC?

 

[milldrone]

Is it an immediate trip, does it random trip?
These are cap-cord gfi's?

You have a handy-dandy recept box where you can inline your amp meter to any CCC or the EGC between load and wall recept, right?

How much mA is leaking onto the EGC?

Along with what Fiona said did the conditions change when extension cord connected, like the feet were on bare concrete but now it's on linoleum or originally it had a water connection and now for testing there is no water connection.

If you don't have the test setup and equipment some insulating material under the feet can be revealing. Warning do not leave the material under the feet unsupervised (shock hazard).