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corvairbob · Apr 16, 2011, 03:20 PM

I have a gfci that I installed at the counter by he sink. I added to the counter doing a remodeling job. I used the refrigerator circuit because to add another circuit wold take a ton of work and the outlets were 2 away. I installed the wire from the fridge outlet and to the gfci and on to 1 more outlet. Using a tester that plugs in and tell you if you have wired it correctly and if you push the button it trips the gfci and the other outlets on that line all trip the gfci. The outlet just before the gfci will not trip using that button. Gut now when I use the water in the fridge now and then that gfci will trip. I know the wires safe correct so why would the gfci trip when I is down the line from the fridge? Even the electricians at work seem puzzled. One said I had some imbalance in the line and that was causing the issue. But why don't the other gfci I have elsewhere that have outlets before them due the same thing when I use power from those outlets? I have double checked the polarity and everything is connect proper and the gfci is connected as line and load correctly. I'm stumped.

tkrussell · Apr 18, 2011, 04:41 AM

There should be no reason that a GFI trip from any problem that is upstream from the GFI, providing all is wired correctly.

Best I can offer is to suggest that an electrician come in and trouble shoot the issue, looking for mis-wired connections.

Stratmando · Apr 18, 2011, 05:07 AM

And nothing is plugged into the GFI or Downstream?

corvairbob · Apr 18, 2011, 06:06 AM

Thanks. tkrussell. I will not bet my life on it being wire incorrectly however I always wire electrical devices the same ground load neutral and hot. I wired the gfci with load to the outlets beyond and line coming from the outlet behind the fridge. I have wired the other one on the counter the same now you tell me if maybe that was incorrect? But I'm sure the instructions that came with the devices said to connect them up that way. Thanks

And to answer the other poster Stratmando yes I have a coffee maker and a hot water one cup heater both plugged into the outlet last on that line and after the gfci that trips and a microwave plugged into that gfci the microwave and not running and the coffee maker has the timer on and the hot water one cup machine is not on. And when I push the lever to get water I get water but it always trips the gfci when I let off the water lever. Never when I push to get water. Not if there is an imbalance why doesn't this happen when the fridge motor cycles or the ice maker cycles? They both should cause some imbalance? Thanks bob p

Stratmando · Apr 18, 2011, 06:29 AM

The frige draws equal power from the hot and neutral, if a wire inside the frige was touching ground. The hot would draw more than the neutral, because the ground is carring some of the neutrals load, causing an imbalance.
I would unplug everything downstream and try each 1 by 1, to locate the culprit.

corvairbob · Apr 18, 2011, 07:56 AM

Well No Stratmando I don't know? I unplugged all devices and tried them one at a time and it did trip but for every device plugged in and not every time I pressed the water on the fridge. I think I will change the gfci and see if maybe that is a defective unit. I have lots of gfci's installed and some after other things that are running so I just find it hard to believe this. Why would this gfci trip after the fridge with other items plugged in but not being used? It is a mystery to me. So now after I just change this gfci out I will see if it continues. If so then I will start looking for other problems and by they way it was wired to the instruction sheet provided. And I went back to the plug behind the fridge to see if that was incorrect and it was not it was wired correctly. Thanks bob p.

Stratmando · Apr 18, 2011, 01:14 PM

Only 2 things come to mind if all is removed from the Load Side:
1)Verify Power is going into the Lines Side.
2)The frige has a small? Problem?
But don't see how it affects power to GFI, causing it to trip?
If you have a Multimeter, unplug the frige and measure resistance between Hot and Ground, then neutral and ground.
Strange.

corvairbob · Apr 18, 2011, 08:45 PM

I changed that gfci for a new one and so far it has not tripped. It may have been a bad gfci. I will let you know if it does trip.thanks for the help so far. Bp