gfci breaker

[mux]

Is anyone using a 2 pole gfci breaker?

 

[SeattleMatt]

I am. I got it from the hardware store for $80. I installed a 50 amp 4 wire outlet about 6 feet away from the breaker panel in my garage.

 

[mux]

I am. I got it from the hardware store for $80. I installed a 50 amp 4 wire outlet about 6 feet away from the breaker panel in my garage.

Are you powering anything else from one phase and neutral?

 

[sv_1]

I am running two of them in my subpanel. One is being used for 120&240.

 

[pvtschultz]

Yup, hundreds of us here are.

50 Amp 240-Volt 240-Watt Non-Fuse Metallic Spa Panel Disconnect with GFI-UG412RMW250P at The Home Depot

This is a two pole with neutral so you can run 240 VAC or 120 VAC circuits and they can all be protected.

 

[passedpawn]

Is anyone using a 2 pole gfci breaker?

I put a SquareD into my breaker panel. I run 240 and 120 devices off it.

Why are you asking? Do you have problems with yours, or just curious if it's possible?

 

[SeattleMatt]

I went with the standalone breaker at home depot so that I could install it in my breaker panel. I didn't want to have a second box.

Right now, I only have a cooling fan (for the SSR) and a PID controller running off of one leg to neutral but I plan on installing a pump soon. You just have to make sure you install the breaker properly or you will trip the GFCI every time you turn on a 120v device. You need to connect all three wires to the breaker (Red, Black, and White) from the outlet and connect the "curly" white "pigtail" from the breaker to the panels neutral bus bar. That will allow you to run both 240 and 120 devices. Ground just goes from the panel to the outlet, bypassing the breaker.

 

[mux]

I'm having a problem with a 30A 2 pole gfci breaker. On power up- when the main power relay closes it trips the gfci. No ground fault condition exists. I think that it is the phase imbalance, because I'm using one phase to neutral for my 110v devices. This puts a load on x phase and no load on y phase tripping the gfci. Any one else have this problem? It is possible that the beaker is no good. Also I isolated the panel by removing the secondary side of the relay, still tripping the breaker. I also replaced the gfci with regular 2 pole and it works with no problem.

 

[SeattleMatt]

Hmm. Is the neutral from your control box connected to the breaker and the breakers pigtail connected to the panel's neutral bus?

 

[mux]

Neutral from control is tied to common neutral bus in breaker panel. Neutral is bonded to ground at same panel as it is the main. GFCI pigtail is tied to neutral bus. 4 conductor #6 so cord from the twist lock to the control panel. I metered everything out and it appears good. I found no ground fault or phase reversals. The only thing I can think of is that the breaker is defective or the phase imbalance is tripping the GFCI.

 

[passedpawn]

Neutral from control is tied to common neutral bus in breaker panel. Neutral is bonded to ground at same panel as it is the main. GFCI pigtail is tied to neutral bus. 4 conductor #6 so cord from the twist lock to the control panel. I metered everything out and it appears good. I found no ground fault or phase reversals. The only thing I can think of is that the breaker is defective or the phase imbalance is tripping the GFCI.

Neutral must return to the 2-pole GFCI. It cannot be tied to the GND bar in the panel, or to the non-protected neutral. That would definitely create the problem you are seeing.

The GFCI sums the currents on the three lines (L1 / L2 / Neutral ) and if there is an unbalance of over about 5 mA it trips.

 

[SeattleMatt]

There's your problem. The neutral from the control box should not be tied to the neutral bus in the breaker panel... it should be connected directly to the breaker itself. The pigtail from the breaker should be connected to the neutral bus in the panel.

Here's a diagram I found... i am wiring a square d 50 amp gfci breaker for a hot tub. The - JustAnswer

 

[SeattleMatt]

ok... the link didn't work. I just Googled GFCI Breaker installation and clicked on images.

 

[mux]

Solved! Brain fart. Thank you to all who helped. Back to school I go!