GFCI receptacles and appliance loads?

[Jim]

I understand that a GFCI receptacles work by comparing the incoming
current to the outgoing. However, if you are using an applicance that
draws current (let's say 3.0 amps)does that not create a difference in
the incoming and outgoing loads? What am I missing here? I must not
fully understand this process.

Jim

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

sponger@comcast.net writes:

On 4 Apr 2004 07:54:53 -0700, carneliangroup@yahoo.com (Jim) wrote:

I understand that a GFCI receptacles work by comparing the incoming
current to the outgoing. However, if you are using an applicance that
draws current (let's say 3.0 amps)does that not create a difference in
the incoming and outgoing loads? What am I missing here? I must not
fully understand this process.

Jim

I like to give the analogy using a kitchen sink. The faucet is the
positive, and the drain is the neutral. (120v USA) The water coming
out of the faucet is the electrons. If you turn the faucet on and
stick a fan under the water, the water will spin the fan and run down
the drain. No water is "lost" in the process. So if you measure how
much water is coming out of the faucet and how much is going down the
drain, it should be equal, no matter how many gallons per minute are
flowing.

Very nice.

So, the answer to the original question is that you can put any load
on the GFCI up to the maximum for the wiring and it will be fine.

More info on GFCIs at:

http://www.codecheck.com/gfci_principal.htm#top

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[Jerry G.]

You can put on any load, that is rated to the maximum of the socket, and the
wiring. If there is any type of overload, or power leakage in the load, the
socket will shut the power.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
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Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
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"Jim" <carneliangroup@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b98c6c3d.0404040654.34b969b5@posting.google.com...
I understand that a GFCI receptacles work by comparing the incoming
current to the outgoing. However, if you are using an applicance that
draws current (let's say 3.0 amps)does that not create a difference in
the incoming and outgoing loads? What am I missing here? I must not
fully understand this process.

Jim

 

[Ken Weitzel]

sponger@comcast.net wrote:

On 4 Apr 2004 07:54:53 -0700, carneliangroup@yahoo.com (Jim) wrote:


I understand that a GFCI receptacles work by comparing the incoming
current to the outgoing. However, if you are using an applicance that
draws current (let's say 3.0 amps)does that not create a difference in
the incoming and outgoing loads? What am I missing here? I must not
fully understand this process.

Jim


I like to give the analogy using a kitchen sink. The faucet is the
positive, and the drain is the neutral. (120v USA) The water coming
out of the faucet is the electrons. If you turn the faucet on and
stick a fan under the water, the water will spin the fan and run down
the drain. No water is "lost" in the process. So if you measure how
much water is coming out of the faucet and how much is going down the
drain, it should be equal, no matter how many gallons per minute are
flowing.

Nicely done...

Until you run into that durned old reciprocity failure,
anyway

Ken

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

"Jerry G." <jerryg50@hotmail.com> writes:

You can put on any load, that is rated to the maximum of the socket, and the
wiring. If there is any type of overload, or power leakage in the load, the
socket will shut the power.

One should note that if the GFCI is at the outlet or an outlet upstream
of this one, it will kill power on leakage but NOT on an overload. That
is the function of the fuse or circuit breaker at the service panel. In
the USA at least.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.