GFI keeps triping

berkeyre · September 04, 2008, 07:56:48 AM

I have a new electric stainless steel smoker. Had a plug put on the deck next to the smoker that has a GFI. The GFI keeps triping. When plugged into a plug without a GFI it works fine. GFI has been tested and is fine. Anybody else have this problem. My e-mail is [email protected]

Tenpoint5 · September 04, 2008, 08:26:16 AM

Im not an electrician by any means but it sounds like the GFI is rated too low for the amp's that are drawn from it to power the Bradley. So it is thinking that you are getting shocked and is tripping.

dick621 · September 04, 2008, 10:57:06 AM

Its not unusual for a piece of equipment to trip a gfci , yet work in a regular outlet. A GFCI is designed to save lives , thus the fault current to trip is very low. You should trust the GFCI. I would have the smoker checked by an electrician, well no i wouldn't because I am one. It is better to be safe than sorry.

beefmann · September 04, 2008, 11:43:09 AM

i agree with having the smoker checked .. you might have some type of voltage going through the ground conductor of the unit ( the neutral would be normal ) which would trip the gfi only way to find this out is to put the smoker on a regular recptical that is not protected by gfi and with a volt meter touch one lead to the bare metal of the case or bare screw and the screw on the recptical and if you have a voltage reading you have a device that is leaking voltage through ground typically it would be connections, the puck advance motor or heater connections. also check the insulation of the conductors carefully for any cracks, frays or damage and replace if necessary.

by the way im an electrical contractor

beefmann

dick621 · September 04, 2008, 12:56:18 PM

Hello Beefman, I'm a contractor to. where you located.

beefmann · September 04, 2008, 02:15:27 PM

in oange county calif

Tenpoint5 · September 04, 2008, 04:41:01 PM

See I told ya I didn't know what I was talking about.

pensrock · September 04, 2008, 06:35:07 PM

Just a quick thought.
Could the inductive load of the heater cause the GFI to trip? ???
Has anyone else tried running their smoker on a GFI circuit?
Also is the GFI a breaker or receptical?

OK well I guess more than one quick thought. ;D

Tenpoint5 · September 04, 2008, 06:57:37 PM

Quote from: pensrock on September 04, 2008, 06:35:07 PM
Just a quick thought.
Could the inductive load of the heater cause the GFI to trip? ???
Also is the GFI a breaker or receptical?

OK well I guess more than one quick thought. ;D

Yeah thats what I was trying to say or ask

Arcs_n_Sparks · September 04, 2008, 07:04:43 PM

Inductive loads should have no effect on the GFI.

Gizmo · September 04, 2008, 08:28:52 PM

My BDS is plugged into a GFI with no problem.

beefmann · September 04, 2008, 09:31:11 PM

with a 500 watt heater on a gfi No ... and with a 900 watt, 120 watt fan no

I have ran the orginal 500 watt heater on a gfi and have modified my smoker with a fan and 900 watt finned heater both have never triped a GFI recptical

Beefmann

Habanero Smoker · September 05, 2008, 02:25:12 AM

All my outdoor outlets are GFI, and the only time I had any problem is when an unexpected T-storm came through and my power strip got drenched.

pensrock · September 05, 2008, 05:52:00 AM

Well that helps narrow it down then. If there is not a problem with his GFI circuit it has to be voltage going to ground in the smoker somehow, as beefman suggested.

aha638 · September 05, 2008, 08:15:13 AM

Could it be a bad GFI ????

Al