GFCI Vs. Grounded 3 prong

Actually what I said is correct....

GFCI systems don't include the circuit ground wire or the ground slot on a receptacle. That's because GFCIs are designed to protect us against a ground fault, which is an unintended loss of power to ground -- possibly through a person. The regular grounding system protects the equipment that is attached (or plugged in) to the circuit against a ground fault in it. GFCI devices are designed to protect people, not equipment.

 

If your power goes out as ours frequently does out in the country doesn't the gfic cut everything off and not come back on when the power returns? That seems to be what I have experienced with my QT. For that reason I haven't added it to the main tank because I'm gone so much that I'm afraid I'll come home to dead fish.

Is this the case or do I have a faulty gfic?

Cindy

 

I would say it's faulty, that's not what it is supposed to do. It's only supposed to trip if it senses a leakage current to ground. Somewhere around 5 milli amperes, which is about the threshold of perception.
jim

 

Diver, then what you are saying is that my power could cut off and on several times a day and it should not affect the gfci and the pumps will automatically come back on when the power comes back on --right?

Cindy

 

Yes Cindy....the power heads SHOULD come back on...I had a faulty GFCI that did the same thing!!!!!  And mine would "throw" sometimes for no reason.

UPDATE: After reading what skennelly posted, I wanted to go back and learn a bit more about this. I've installed quite a few GFCI's, part of my old job.  The master electrician we had explained it to me the way he did either because he was impatient, or he himself did not understand the workings of one.

I was always told the 3rd prong ground had to be used to make a GFCI work. After study this does not seem to be true, as skennelly saids. A 2 line wire will work in most cases correctly.

The reason for the 3rd wire is this: a neutral-to-earth ground short, which is sometimes poorly used in household circuits , can occur. This will make the GFCI immediately break the circuit, with nothing plugged in at all.

The GFCI uses a coil to determine a change in current on BOTH sides of a AC circuit(wire). A neutral,( the second wire in all appliances) , when wired directly to an earth ground, will work on applainces, BUT will but detected by the GFCI to be different than that of the hot side of the AC wire. And it then will not work.
Earth-Grounded neutrals can be very bad, especially on metal applainces. Touching a metal applaince and , say, the sink at the same time, can, and has, killed people.

As the electronic tech/electrician, I did not know all this until now myself. However, laws is Florida prohibit installing any new outlet without  a 3rd earth ground plug/wiring installed. Thats why we never installed any on a 2 line system. We ran new wiring back to the panel. Most were new installs, so it was never an issue.

Thanks skennelly for opening my eyes to this. Hopefully it will help someone out there stay safe!!

And beamer/Cindy, please replace the GFCI you have...if it still doesn't function right, get an electrician to come out. Don't take ANY chances, PLEASE!

Merry Christmas

Scoffer

reference:   http://www.codecheck.com/gfci_principal.htm

 

Thanks scoffer for the info and the link. I will check it again. I'm thinking when I last noticed it that it may not have been plugged all the way into the outlet. I'll try it out again and if it continues to happen I will throw it out and get a new one and if needed call an electrician.

Cindy

 

You go girl!!!

 

We went the lazy way and our kitchen and bathrooms have GFIC Breakers at the Panel Box

I assume they work the same way and are equally as effective. Does that also bypass the 2 prong vs 3 prong questions?