Can you leave elements submerged overnight?

[floormatg]

Yes, it technically could be used, however it would violate electrical code, and the ground clamps used for piping that size are extremely expensive. A ground clamp for 1/2" up to 1" pipe is about 5$. When you jump to 1 1/4" ground clamp the price jumps to about 50$ each.

Also, some meters like the Fluke T5-1000 only measure resistance up to the 1000 ohm range.

Relying only on a breaker and not a GFCI to protect you in case of a ground fault is plain stupid, and what we in the electrical trade would call natural selection. If there is an electrical fault to ground, the breaker may not trip (for a handful of reasons) and still create a shock hazard. Use the GFCI and don't disconnect the ground. By tripping, it is doing it's job.

You said their is a ground lug on the GFCI... What brand/model is it? I've connected quite a few GFCI's and never seen one with a ground terminal; usually only 2 hots and a neutral. However even if this is the case, it probably wont fix your problem.

Replace the element, don't risk your life with electricity.

 

[grathan]

Yes, it technically could be used, however it would violate electrical code, and the ground clamps used for piping that size are extremely expensive. A ground clamp for 1/2" up to 1" pipe is about 5$. When you jump to 1 1/4" ground clamp the price jumps to about 50$ each.

Also, some meters like the Fluke T5-1000 only measure resistance up to the 1000 ohm range.

Relying only on a breaker and not a GFCI to protect you in case of a ground fault is plain stupid, and what we in the electrical trade would call natural selection. If there is an electrical fault to ground, the breaker may not trip (for a handful of reasons) and still create a shock hazard. Use the GFCI and don't disconnect the ground. By tripping, it is doing it's job.

You said their is a ground lug on the GFCI... What brand/model is it? I've connected quite a few GFCI's and never seen one with a ground terminal; usually only 2 hots and a neutral. However even if this is the case, it probably wont fix your problem.

Replace the element, don't risk your life with electricity.

I think you've misunderstood me. I didn't say the gfci had a ground lug.

Also I didn't mean the drain pipe as an intentional ground, but more as accidental. As in when someone was showering and the fault chose to go that way instead of back to the panel.


I do plan to replace the element or at least pinpoint it as being faulty.

 

[floormatg]

**update**

Minor progress today. Ripped everything apart and rewired using 12ga instead of 8ga. Problem with tripping out persisted. BUT. I had a thought to try removing my ground wire from the kettle. And the tripping stopped. So now I just need to figure out if I need that ground wire or not, and if so where I went wrong wiring it up. Anyone have any thoughts on this?


The details of my ground is 200 amp panel in the main house uses a 100 amp breaker to feed the garage panel. (4 strand with ground going back to 100 amp breaker in 200 amp panel). And then the kettle gets hooked to the ground lug on the 50 amp gfci in the 100 amp panel.

My mistake, I guess I'm not reading that properly.

How do you plan to pinpoint it being faulty? Just curious. Personally I would just disconnect the 2 hots from the element and tape them up to insulate them and turn the power on. If it doesn't trip, then you've pinpointed it to the element.

Also I didn't mean or it to sound like I was attacking you, just putting it out there for others who may read this thread.

 

[grathan]

Thanks I'll try that.

Weird that I said ground lug on the breaker. I'm pretty sure there was only 2 hots and 2 neutrals. Homeline that Home Depot sells. I think I have the ground going back to the ground rail in the panel which is separate from the neutral rail.