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.

 

[Dadillac]

I will try a new breaker. This issue has only happened maybe 3 times since the end of March/beginning of April. Cannot remember when the kitchen was finished. Not sure if it might be a refrigerator issue as someone above has stated. Do refrigerators self defrost on a timer? Maybe once a month? I have not kept notes on when the breaker has tripped so cannot say if these trips have happened a month apart

Don

 

[nomas]

Whomever decided that a refrigerator should be on a GFCI is an idiot .

 

[Highboy]

Whomever decided that a refrigerator should be on a GFCI is an idiot .

Put in a regular breaker till you sell your house.

 

[Pablo]

Whomever decided that a FREEZER should be on a GFCI is an idiot .

Fixed it

 

[nealberke]

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

I thought the reason for (finally) giving refrigerators their own breaker was to NOT have a GFCI outlet or breaker for the reasons you stated? Yes, you can get a bad breaker. Many years ago, I had a GFCI breaker outdoors and it kept tripping. The neutral screw on the the outlet was too close or touching something in the bell box and creating an imbalance. Taping the outlet screws and readjusting it solved the problem for me.