Charging Threw GFI Outlet Last Night

There likely are other outlets on that same GFI circuit.
Sometimes MANY others.

But GFI detectors are sensitive to "surges".
In Florida in the summer time, there are a LOT of "surges".

Since that is not a "mission critical" application, I wouldn't worry about it
too much. But you should find out how many outlets are on that detector.

I used to live in a house with a basement and a sump pump.
I quickly realized that my pump was NOT going to be on a GFI because
that is a "mission critical" application and a false trip might be a disaster.

 

If only a one time event, I wouldn't worry too much. If it happens again, if it were me, I'd look at replacing the GFI . It's hard to tell from your description what in the circuit might be the cause of the trip. All I know is that without narrowing down the actual reason for the trip, it's a good first step to open the outlet and take a look at the wiring. A GFI tester is another option. The kind I'm thinking of is the yellow three prong tester with the three lights that tells if a regular outlet is wired correctly or has any other problems. The GFI version is the same except there is also a button on it that trips the GFI when pushed and lets you know if it ( the GFI ) is working correctly.

 

I had the same problem with my Nissan Leaf when I had it (which was a major problem). And now that I don't but still use the outlet for a block heater on the Avalon it still trips from time to time. I replaced it twice.

Keeping the cord up off the ground helps. That way there's less capacitance between the hot wire and the actual ground, which can cause the GFI to trip, although the ground wire in the cord itself causes capacitance.

 

For a GFCI to work correctly, ALL of the connections between it and the serving breaker MUST be
solid mechanically and electrically.

Some electricians get sloppy with how they tie together and connect the bare ground wires.

 

I suppose. But finding an electrician or plumber or anything like that that will change a GFCI for me is practically impossible here. I can't get someone to stop by the house for under $500, and that's with a several weeks waiting period. Construction and repair work has gone through the roof, My brother was quoted $220,000 for just dirt work, a septic system, a well and foundation and setting the cheapest ($80,000) modular house on it ($300,000 total) and connecting to the electric box which is already on the property and paid for. The property is also already paid for.

Hopefully I don't fry my family or light my house on fire but I changed the outlet myself, twice.

 

Time out.
Doesn't that make you think even a tiny little bit that something ELSE might really be causing the problem ??
Well it might.

I think you should be checking the integrity of the connections inside the outlets......and maybe even switches......on that
side of your house.

The one giving you trouble likely is "daisy chained" through several other boxes along the way and a sloppy 3rd wire ground connection in any one of them can cause falst GFI trips.

Turn off the breaker to that outlet.
Survey which lights and outlets go dead.
Check all of them for good connections.
And the hot, neutral and ground connections for that outlet at the box too.

 

Huh?? I don't know what kind of cord you have; but all three of my conductors are insulated and then another insulation wrapping around all three conductors make up my cords. On the ground, off the ground shouldn't matter. Check your plug and ends. I've had plugs and crimps to wires loosen up over time. Some even start to get warm while charging. I check connections at least once a year. Had to replace both ends on a 30 foot extension cord last year. It didn't pop the GFCI yet; but it was getting warm. Just make sure you use quality 'hospital grade' components for the replacement. They have minimum specifications; surprisingly there are very few for general components. I guess they figure lawsuits will keep the manufacturers in check.

Hope this helps.....

 

Thanks

I've checked and the breaker is a 20A and only goes to just that outlet on the outside (the GFCI is 20A too). It doesn't turn on or off any other outlet or light switch. I will chase the wire back and see if it does enter some sort of spliced box, but I'd assume it's a single run.

It may be an old wives tell. But everyone here seems to all "know" the same thing, that running a cord along the ground will trip the GFCI after a matter of time. At the bus barn I worked at all the buses had engine block heaters and we all religiously kept the cords off the ground so they wouldn't trip the GFCI's.

It seems like whenever we did have an engine that was cold in the morning because the GFCI had popped it always happened with cords that were left touching the ground.

I will check. Yes, I've had cords get bad like that. One problem we commonly get is it gets to cold and normal cords will just crack apart and all the insulation will fall off exposing bare wire if you try to bend them. I have to use those blue cold weather cords.

Interesting idea about using 'hospital grade' components.

 

That must be a cold weather thing. Any cords that has cracks in the insulation gets tossed out. Safety issue - if that cord ends up in a puddle - the entire floor can be energized...

 

We don't get puddles in winter. The water freezes.

Cracking insulation is a cold weather thing.

GFCI popping because cord is on ground is an all-weather thing.

 

Cracking insulation is caused by all kinds of things.
Leading the list is cheap materials use for the insulation.
Excessive heat or cold can just make it happen faster.

A properly insulated cord should NEVER trip a GFCI just by coming in
contact with a ground.......or being immersed in water, for that matter.

 

Perhaps it shouldn't. But when you're trying to get your bus to start in -35 °F weather and can't because of a tripped GFCI you don't know what to blame at that point. I mean, the cords were of industrial quality. All were the same. Out of 30 buses, every once in a while one or two would have a tripped GFCI. As far as I can remember, those buses were the only ones with their cord on the ground.

Too bad Myth Busters isn't around anymore.

 

You can always tell the people who live in a non-extreme environment. Things can get weird out here on the edges. I think you're probably correct that the extreme cold was prematurely micro-cracking the insulation. The extremely low humidity at that temp probably didn't help matters either.

(my area also gets to -40F/-40C in the winter and up to 110F/43C in the summer)

 

I'm not sure it's an extreme weather thing nor micro-cracking of the insulation. Yes, it gets down to -40 °F sometimes here too, but I don't think the lying on ground problem is related to the cold. We were all under the assumption that it's the capacitance between hot and ground. The more wire you lay on the ground the greater the capacitance. Capacitance allows some A/C current to pass through. If the GFCI detects more current is passing through one pole than the other (because part of that current is going to ground) the GFCI trips. That is how everyone around here understands it.

 

Not an electrician but having had to replace non working gfci outlets they have them now that self test and also a light goes on when the gfci is finished. Don’t know why they are like this now but they are, as far as I have seen.