Inline GFCI w/ March pump. This safe?

[Misplaced_Canuck]

I've seen GFCI's that were too sensitive to handle a high start load, especially with pumps, refrigeration units, etc. Or sometimes you don't really need the protection, e.g. light bulb/lighting, etc.

M_C

OK question, WHY? why would you not want GFCI?, sure sometimes it is unnecessary, but i don't see why you if you have the GFCI you wouldn't do it?

 

[mmurray]

Just to add a little more fuel. I worked for years in an industrial environment. Our safety procedure manual called for "double ground fault circuit interrupters" or 2 GFCIs inline, anytime there was work to be performed in a "wet environment". The thought was, redundancy. While this is probably unnecessary, in 35 years, and 100ks manhours, no electrical incidents due to GFCIs (or lack thereof). - Dwain

I believe that info is actually incorrect. A "Double Ground fault circuit" is actually what it sounds like... 2 ground wires. This is the standard in hospital wiring and many industrial applications.

You will have the ground from the panel just as you would in a house, but then an additional ground is brought in from a grounding rod installed throughout the facility. For example in a Hospital, each "department" or "circuit" will have both a home run w/ground and a second ground connected to a grounding rod somewhere in that area. So what you end up with in the box (using 110v as example) is a Hot, a Neutral, and 2 grounds connected to 2 grounding sources.

That way is for some reason one of the grounds fails the other is there to protect you.

 

[mmurray]

This would be the same as canceling out a GFCI outlet too. One trips in the line all within the daisy-chain will trip or cancel each other out...

That actually depends how you wire it...

Imagine the outlet on the left is another GFCI and you have it wired in the same way then your statement is correct. When the GFCI outlet on the Right trips then the second GFCI (that we are imagining is on the left) would not work.

BUT....

If you daisy chained the 2 GFCI outlets off the "Line" side of the GFCI outlets then the GFCI's would trip individually.

Only when you pull power from the "Load" side of a GFCI are daisy chained outlets protected from the first GFCI. This is done in homes for the simple cost saving aspect. A GFCI will generally run you $18 at your local box store and a regular outlet is $2... So it's just cheaper to have 1 GFCI in a bathroom and have the other outlets fed off the "Load" side than to have multiple GFCI's. So if you have 3 outlets in your bathroom... $22 for all three is a lot better than $54!

Hope this helps.

 

[Dwain]

I believe that info is actually incorrect. A "Double Ground fault circuit" is actually what it sounds like... 2 ground wires. This is the standard in hospital wiring and many industrial applications.

Actually, the procedure manual called for low voltage equipment when working in a wet environment. They had almost anything you could imagine in low voltage. However, if you had to use something they didn't have in low voltage, after a full Safe Operations Committee review (which typically included a member or members that were specialist in whichever field was being discussed), they could grant an exception or variance. Whenever they did, the manual specified to plug one GFCI into a power supply, the other GFCI into the first GFCI and then the equipment into the second GFCI. I'm not sure what the correct Technical jargon is, but that's what the manual said and illustrations were given.

 

[mmurray]

Actually, the procedure manual called for low voltage equipment when working in a wet environment. They had almost anything you could imagine in low voltage. However, if you had to use something they didn't have in low voltage, after a full Safe Operations Committee review (which typically included a member or members that were specialist in whichever field was being discussed), they could grant an exception or variance. Whenever they did, the manual specified to plug one GFCI into a power supply, the other GFCI into the first GFCI and then the equipment into the second GFCI. I'm not sure what the correct Technical jargon is, but that's what the manual said and illustrations were given.

WOW... I'm not sure what you would call that, other than redundancy for the sake of redundancy.... Either someone was previously sued or y'alls Lawyers were very nervous people. LOL

 

[Dwain]

other than redundancy for the sake of redundancy

That is their specialty. Man, I don't miss it!

 

[kaiser423]

NEVER cross the GFCI streams!

I lol'd.

Yea, jsut put the GFCI on your brew equipment and call it a day. No need for anything more fancy than that.