Tripping GFCI outlets

Help me with some troubleshooting. Any ideas are appreciated. I will make it known when we have a winner.

I am trying to get my new e-keggles working. They are leak tested, and good to go on that front. I have 2 2000w elements wired (12/3) to two separate 20A GFCI outlets. Each outlet has its own 20a breaker.

The problem is that as soon as I start to plug them into the outlet the GFCI trips. I need ideas. Can anyone help?

Forgot to mention that wires are encased in high temp silicone. One thought I have is that the "inside" of the silicone may not be fully cured.

Some high temp silicone is electrically conductive both pre and post cure. Chect the specifications of the product you are using.

Make sure that the hot and neutral of each circuit is kept completely separate from each other. The hot from one circuit cannot use the neutral from another circuit as a return. A GFCI will measure the current on both the hot and neutral path and will trip if they are not equal.

Yep! I had this same problem, unless the silicon is cured, the GFCI will trip, and fast. Give it a few days and you will be much happier. In order to cure, it also cannot be sealed too tightly in the fitting, like if you filled a plastic cap fuul and fastened over your element...give it some time!

Plug in a lamp or something else. Does that trip?

Plugged in a lamp, no problem.

I had the silicone on the connections all closed up in a rubber hose. Just pulled it off and found very wet, uncured silicone. Gonna leave it that way for a few days to a week then try again.

JollyMon said:

Plugged in a lamp, no problem. I had the silicone on the connections all closed up in a rubber hose. Just pulled it off and found very wet, uncured silicone. Gonna leave it that way for a few days to a week then try again.

Click to expand...

Oh- there's your problem! You have to turn on the lamp after you plug it in.

The silicone is finally drying. 3 out of 4 have fully dried and are working. One left still a little damp and it immediately trips. This stuff is very slow to cure.

It is my understanding that the moisture/humidity in the air actually helps cure the silicone. Thick layers of silicone take a long time to cure if they can't absorb moisture readily.

No real benefit to fully potting in a huge block of silicone when a thorough but thin layer does the same job.

Thanks Bobby_M, now you tell me.

Haven't had time to brew anyways so the waiting isn't the end of the world. But if I could go back and do it again I would definitely had done it differently.

All the silicone is finally cured and all 4 elements are working. Unfortunately I am out of town for the next few days so I can't even give it a test run.