Do GFI's go bad?

[imperialman67]

The GFI breaker has suddenly started tripping whenever the dishwasher in our kitchen is being ran.
The backstory is that the kitchen was remodeled a year and a half ago with a dedicated 20 amp circuit provided by the electrician for the dishwasher.
The dishwasher has a plug in cord that plugs into a gfi outlet under our kitchen sink.
Not one bit of trouble for a year and a half until this week.
I plugged the dishwasher into an extension cord then plugged the extension cord into another gfi outlet on another circuit to see what would happen.
That gfi tripped immediately also. I'm confused as to what is going on.

 

[Dagny]

try plugging it in to a non gfi. there must be some current leaking to ground it only takes 5 miliamps to trip it.

 

[ddawg16]

If it's tripping two different GFCI's, then you have a problem. Most likely a leaky cap to ground.

How old is the dishwasher?

 

[imperialman67]

"How old is the dishwasher?"

Its a year and half old.
No issues until this week with the gfi tripping.

 

[manwithtools]

To answer your question, yes they do "go bad". In your instance you have ruled that out by using a second GFCI which behaved exactly like the first one. Id' say the problem is with your dishwasher.

 

[imperialman67]

" Most likely a leaky cap to ground."

Does this mean its the gfi, or the dishwasher?

 

[ddawg16]

To answer your question, yes they do "go bad". In your instance you have ruled that out by using a second GFCI which behaved exactly like the first one. Id' say the problem is with your dishwasher.

" Most likely a leaky cap to ground."

Does this mean its the gfi, or the dishwasher?

Not trying to rag on you....but.....troubleshooting is not one of your strengths, is it?

 

[Milton Shaw]

Turn the power off and remove the access panel to get the wiring and mechanism. Remove both wires from the heater element, tape insulate, and then restore power and try it again. Those calrod heating elements will crack and short out and trip GCFI's . If that fixes it replace the element and reconnect it.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

So u have a GFCI breaker protecting a GFCI outlet?

 

[imperialman67]

Not trying to rag on you....but.....troubleshooting is not one of your strengths, is it?

Don't think I'm better or worse than most....
I didn't know questions were frowned upon here.
My original question was answered that GFI's can go bad.
Thanks

 

[Norcal]

GFCI's can go bad, but if the same appliance has caused two different GFCI's to trip, you need to look at the appliance, the GFCI's seem to be doing their job. Others have suggested looking at the DW also.

 

[nehog]

" Most likely a leaky cap to ground."

Does this mean its the gfi, or the dishwasher?

The dishwasher. The GFIs are OK.

Don't think I'm better or worse than most....
I didn't know questions were frowned upon here.
My original question was answered that GFI's can go bad.
Thanks

They can, but yours are OK.

 

[rburke65]

I don't know of anything that "can't go bad".

 

[Crazyjake8493]

GFCI's can go bad, but not nearly as often as people think they do. Typically, if they do "go bad" they won't let you reset them at all. If a GFCI is tripping only at certain times or with use of certain items, the problem lies elsewhere.

 

[Fixin'Stuff]

My original question was answered that GFI's can go bad.
Thanks

Yes, they can go bad. No, yours didn't. Something inside your dishwasher is leaking current to ground. Two different GFCI's at your house are doing their job, by turning off the power and alerting you that something in your dishwasher has gone bad.

 

[aircommuter]

NEC says dedicated circuits did not need a GFCI.

 

[Norcal]

NEC says dedicated circuits did not need a GFCI.

The 2014 NEC edition, 210.8(D) requires that dishwashers in dwellings have GFCI protection,this is a new requirement in that edition, there are no exceptions for "dedicated circuits".

 

[ddawg16]

The 2014 NEC edition, 210.8(D) requires that dishwashers in dwellings have GFCI protection,this is a new requirement in that edition, there are no exceptions for "dedicated circuits".

What about fridges?

 

[Dazinyandina]

At what time in the cycle is it tripping? My dish washer was tripping GFCI. I traced it to a small leak in the soap dispenser. When the soap door solenoid triggered to let the soap out the GFCI would trip. I took the door apart and I could see that water had been getting past the seal on the soap dispenser for a while and getting into the solenoid in the door. The soap door trigger solenoid was rusted and had to be replaced.

 

[jim111]

under 2014 code, if the refrigerator is served by a receptacle located such as not to also serve the countertop, it does not require gfci protection. It does however require arc fault protection.

 

[Norcal]

under 2014 code, if the refrigerator is served by a receptacle located such as not to also serve the countertop, it does not require gfci protection. It does however require arc fault protection.

Under the 2014, everything except garages and bathrooms require AFCI's in a dwelling.

 

[ddawg16]

****
I'm expanding the kitchen this fall. Along with 2 new ckts

 

[jtpfarm]

I had one in the shop, with nothing plugged into it or any others on the circuit, that one day tripped itself. I could press reset all I wanted and it would continue to trip immediately. Put a new one in and the problem was solved. So I would say yes, they can go bad.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Under the 2014, everything except garages and bathrooms require AFCI's in a dwelling.

Ddawg >> "****
I'm expanding the kitchen this fall. Along with 2 new ckts "


Some Good News!

California is still on the 2011 NEC

 

[justsam]

Under the 2014, everything except garages and bathrooms require AFCI's in a dwelling.

Interesting that bathrooms are excluded, not that I want to encourage the "nannies" but it seems a likely place to need one.

Over time it seems like hair dryer cords, curling iron cords, etc. become a twisted snake. If there were a scenario where arcing from frayed strands, either series or parallel, this would be the likely place to find them.

 

[Norcal]

Ddawg >> "****
I'm expanding the kitchen this fall. Along with 2 new ckts "


Some Good News!

California is still on the 2011 NEC

Thought about mentioning that, but think that the 2014 is being adopted in Jan. 2017. 'Bout the time when NFPA releases the 2017 NEC. But with the snake oil / AFCI requirements being expanded would not complain if went back to the 1996 NEC.

 

[ddawg16]

Ddawg >> "****
I'm expanding the kitchen this fall. Along with 2 new ckts "


Some Good News!

California is still on the 2011 NEC

I better hurry then

I have the spare wires pulled....just need to take out a wall....install a header....and remove the front of my house....not much really

 

[Mr. T]

I don't know of anything that "can't go bad".

Sealed honey...

 

[aircommuter]

In the case of imperialman67, the question is what code was in place when his plans were approved.