Faulty breaker?

[Dadillac]

Had our kitchen gutted and remodeled this past winter. All new electric (outlets, wiring, breakers, etc). The outlet for the refrigerator is on a dedicated breaker. This breaker is a GFCI breaker as that is what is code in NJ. This breaker has tripped 3 or 4 times already since March. The refrigerator is new. I know I can call back the electrician but do not really want to do that on what may be a simple resolution.

My question is: How common is getting a brand new GFCI breaker that is faulty? I am considering just going to Home Depot and getting a replacement. Seems more logical that a breaker would be intermittent than an outlet or the refrigerator. What says you?

Don

 

[TCL]

Are you competent enough to see if the screws are tight on the breaker panel and the outlet the frig is plugged into?
If so, check them first.

 

[AZjeff]

Daughter got bad GFCI outlets in a new house. Changed them out no more pops. It's possible.

 

[Cujet]

I've had a number of weak breakers here at my FL house. Even the main failed one leg some time back. GFI breakers are even worse.

 

[AandPDan]

More likely it's the fridge, defrost circuit.

 

[alarmguy]

It’s cheap to replace the GFCI and hope it works is what I would do.

 

[Marcozi]

I'd replace it with a GFCI breaker from Square D. They ain't cheap, tho!

 

[repairman54]

I used to run into false tripping GFI's with appliances every now and then. Especially with washers installed next to slop sinks. Code says GFI near a sink. Washer sweating on a hot or warm water cycle, especially in a basement, can false trip a GFI.
Lots of D/W power tapped into countertop GFI's instead of dedicated separate grounded circuits also.
Most of these calls were on in warranty service calls.
New trend is to power kitchens with a GFI breaker to cut costs and meet codes easily. But a water using appliance is designed to be on its own grounded circuit so shorts are bled off to ground. Each AC component in them have their own internal ground bonding.