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GFCI Tripping

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Botswana:
The breaker and wiring were both replaced despite them being brand new, but were not replaced at the exact same time. 6 gauge copper wire running from main house box to spa disconnect. 6 gauge copper wire running from hot tub disconnect thru PVC underground to hot tub.

Just did a bunch of heater measurements and they all check out in specs.. 14.5 ohms post to post on heater....16.5 amps when heating...240 volts...

Also checked all the voltages at the breaker and at the main board and everything checks out

bud16415:
Do you have a way of checking ohms heater to housing. I don’t know the threshold for tripping the GFCI but it is very low. The heater will not blow or show any signs of being defective other than a slight trickle of leakage current. That will trip the GFCI and save the heater. If the GFCI was out of the picture the trickle that starts the cycle would burn in a carbon track and the leakage would grow larger and eventually a high current condition that would melt down the heater and blow the over current breaker.

GFCIs will detect so soon making it very hard to find the small leakage.   

Botswana:
From heater terminal to the outside housing of the heater ( the tube) was 0/OL when measured. Is that what you were refering to?

bud16415:

--- Quote from: gmdodt on April 13, 2018, 10:15:19 am ---From heater terminal to the outside housing of the heater ( the tube) was 0/OL when measured. Is that what you were refering to?

--- End quote ---


Yes , That sensitivity in a normal meter is hard to really read sometimes as it only takes 4-5 milliamps to trip and happens in 1/10 of a second.

Weeping or moisture will conduct these types of currents. 

Botswana:
Hmm..so no way to do further diagnosing on this? I suppose disconnecting the heater but I'd probably have to have it disconnected for more than a month to prove it's the heater since it only trips about every 2 weeks. The heater looks good. I have pictures that I posted to another thread, but no signs of moisture or burn marks. I suppose inside of the heater could be leaking? And that's really impossible to know, correct?

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