Log in
Register
Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
News
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Features
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Install the app
Install
Reply to thread
Home
Forums
Off Topic
The Basement
The "I Hate GFCIs" thread
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Frank Koenig" data-source="post: 8298" data-attributes="member: 416"><p>I thought I'd split this off from Jack's legitimate issue in Varsity so that we can go way off topic.</p><p></p><p>First off, GFCIs are fundamentally good things. They save lives, especially in home, construction, and farm situations with poor maintenance, dodgy grounds, and people who insist on using hair dryers in the bathtub. But they can also be a major source of irritation. </p><p></p><p>In addition to the spontaneous combustion problem I alluded to in the other thread, I had another failure of one on the output of a 400W, 12VDC-to-120VAC inverter that we were to use to power a rotisserie to roast a rabbit over an open fire. When the inverter output was dead my heart sank but I opened it up to find ample 120 AC on the wires going into the GFCI. (Always carry a meter.) We ripped out the offending GFCI, wrapped the wires around the prongs of the plug, and the rabbit rotated. Unfortunately, we hadn't tied the rabbit's limbs very well and they started to flail grotesquely, which caused the by then quite drunk dinner guests to have an uncontrollable fit of giggles. We finished the rabbit on a Webber and it tasted more-or-less like chicken. But that's not really a GFCI problem.</p><p></p><p>GFCIs, at least older ones, can be tripped by inductive turn-off transients. Often, at home, when I turn off the MIG welder, which is an older one with a 60 Hz transformer the size of a small watermelon, GFCIs all over the house trip. The shop, where the welder is, is on a separate feeder, but no matter. It may be tripping my neighbors' GFCIs for all I know.</p><p></p><p>The GFCIs you buy now come with an LED on them. This seems like a good idea -- you can find them in the dark. Except that when they trip and make the lights go out, which is the one time you'd really like to find them, the LED goes out too.</p><p></p><p>--Frank</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Frank Koenig, post: 8298, member: 416"] I thought I'd split this off from Jack's legitimate issue in Varsity so that we can go way off topic. First off, GFCIs are fundamentally good things. They save lives, especially in home, construction, and farm situations with poor maintenance, dodgy grounds, and people who insist on using hair dryers in the bathtub. But they can also be a major source of irritation. In addition to the spontaneous combustion problem I alluded to in the other thread, I had another failure of one on the output of a 400W, 12VDC-to-120VAC inverter that we were to use to power a rotisserie to roast a rabbit over an open fire. When the inverter output was dead my heart sank but I opened it up to find ample 120 AC on the wires going into the GFCI. (Always carry a meter.) We ripped out the offending GFCI, wrapped the wires around the prongs of the plug, and the rabbit rotated. Unfortunately, we hadn't tied the rabbit's limbs very well and they started to flail grotesquely, which caused the by then quite drunk dinner guests to have an uncontrollable fit of giggles. We finished the rabbit on a Webber and it tasted more-or-less like chicken. But that's not really a GFCI problem. GFCIs, at least older ones, can be tripped by inductive turn-off transients. Often, at home, when I turn off the MIG welder, which is an older one with a 60 Hz transformer the size of a small watermelon, GFCIs all over the house trip. The shop, where the welder is, is on a separate feeder, but no matter. It may be tripping my neighbors' GFCIs for all I know. The GFCIs you buy now come with an LED on them. This seems like a good idea -- you can find them in the dark. Except that when they trip and make the lights go out, which is the one time you'd really like to find them, the LED goes out too. --Frank [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
Off Topic
The Basement
The "I Hate GFCIs" thread
Top
Bottom
Sign-up
or
log in
to join the discussion today!