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Do ceiling fans muck with GFCI's?

jmarkwolf

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Jan 15, 2013
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Southeast Michigan
I just added a romex run for a ceiling fan on the end of a lightly loaded GFCI protected outlet string in my detached garage.

Haven't purchased the ceiling fan yet. Can I expect to have difficulty with the GFCI tripping?

Are there ceiling fan kits that purport to be GFCI friendly?

I know I can always remove the GFCI but I'd rather not.
 
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Kevin54

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We don't have any problems in the house with our ceiling fans and GFCI's, and we have ceiling fans in every room
 

kd3pc

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Aug 10, 2013
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Northern Neck
We have new construction, with AHJ required, arc-fault interupters and the ceiling fans, with lights in them....have a staggered startup to keep the arc faults happy. Spooky at first, as when you flip the switch, a few seconds pass before the light comes on, and then a bit more before the fan starts.

As to the GFCI, the only problem I have seen is that "used" cheap fans will trip them, as the motors are iffy, or something is binding that causes them to trip. The mother in law is famous for buying yard sale ****, makes me put it up, then "wonders" what I did wrong in installing it. This usually followed by, "she told me it was new in the box".....it must be that you put it in wrong. Now I tell her to call a "licensed" electrician ....

best of luck
 
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Mustang51js

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Jan 24, 2014
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Haskell nj
Question is why would you have the ceiling fans on gfci. If they are able to get wet then they make weatherproof fans.
 
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jmarkwolf

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Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
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Location
Southeast Michigan
Question is why would you have the ceiling fans on gfci. If they are able to get wet then they make weatherproof fans.

I added the ceiling fan circuit to the end of a lightly loaded (existing) circuit. Reason being, it was far more convenient than running new romex all the way back to the panel, pulling and re-installing all that insulation, etc.

The last outlet on the run is an external duplex. I just "extended" the run to the ceiling fan.
 
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