GFCI wierdness (shore power in the cabin)

[Mikebat]

I have a GCFI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device) circuit in my boat. It supplies all the 3-prong 115V AC outlets from shore power. I plugged in a LCD TV and it worked just fine for weeks. Then, Sunday morning while I was watching the firestorms on the TV news, the GFCI breaker tripped. I isolated it to the TV, which would trip the circuit even if it was the only thing plugged in. I don't have to turn the TV on, just plug it in and it trips the GFCI breaker. Although I should mention that, like many TVs, this one draws power even when turned off so it can detect the remote control turning it on.

I was able to run it off the boat's batteries with a small inverter. But I wondered if my TV needed repairs. Then last night, just to check once again before I called the repair center today, I plugged it into the GFCI-protected outlet again. It didn't trip. I watched TV for a couple hours last night with no problem.

Anybody familiar with this situation care to comment? What's wrong with my TV? My GFCI circuit? Anything?

 

[Emerald]

Does the plug on the TV have a large (fat) spade and a narrower one e.g. it forces correct polarity? Want to say that I ran into this with a drill that had a non-polar plug. Tripped plugged in one way and not the other.

 

[Sven]

I would suspect the GFI circuit too.

We have one at home that trips whenever it is used during rains ... humidity is enough.

Another GFI circuit actually failed outright while I was listening to the humming and felt it get warm while nothing was plugged in.

IOW, I suspect the quality control during manufacture of these devices are and would suspect them too.



-Sen

 

[u079721]

Another vote for the GFCI outlet going bad. In my experience these things sometimes go just a little bit wacko, and start tripping if you just breath on them hard. Not sure if there is such a thing as a "marinized" version, but for $10 just go to a hardware store and buy a replacement and see if that doesn't solve the issue.

 

[Mikebat]

Thanks for the suggestions. The TV has a 3-prong plug and it appears to have polarized spades too (even though with the ground plug, it only goes in one way). I also have a refrigerator plugged in (3-prong) and an Xbox360 (3-prong) as well as a notebook (2-prong polarized) and a Bose speaker/woofer set (2-prong polarized). Only the TV has ever tripped the GFCI breaker. I have also used many 110VAC power tools on board, never have any tripped the GCFI breaker. So I am inclined to think it's the TV, but if it happens again maybe I'll replace the outlet with the GFCI breaker. Or replace the TV's power cord.

 

[jkm]

I've had GFI go bad over the years. Usually the newer manufactured ones.

I'd check the wiring-it's not unusual for one to be incorrectly wired. Use a tester, can get one at an electric wholesale house.

I've observed over the years some will kick with the slightest moisture present, others will not trip in a driving rain.

They don't make them like they used to, they are now just cheaply manufactured like the duplex plugs.

John

 

[Mikebat]

This is kind of strange. It tripped the GFCI breaker again Wednesday night when I got home from work (I live aboard now) and turned on the TV news. Mind you, it was "on" all day long because TVs with remotes draw some power to detect the remote signal. Making an educated guess, I plugged it into the inverter for a moment, turned it on, then off, and plugged it back into the GFCI outlet. It didn't trip. I turned it on with the remote - still no trip. Something about being in standby mode all day sets it up for a power imbalance when it is turned on, and that trips the GFCI breaker.

Since then, I have simply unplugged the TV while away from the boat. It has not tripped the GFCI breaker for two days now. That's a reasonable workaround, so I'm not worrying about it.