Lawn Mower Keeps Tripping GFCI Receptacle

[George7941]

New GFCI receptacle at the front of the house. Lawn Mower trips this one but does not trip the GFCI receptacle at the back of the house.

My question is - would installing a GFCI breaker at the electrical panel help with nuisance tripping?

 

[mrsilv04]

Just try replacing the GFCI outlet that is giving you issues. They can be finicky, even right out of the box.

 

[wwillson]

would installing a GFCI breaker at the electrical panel help with nuisance tripping?

My GFCI breakers aren't any less prone to tripping than GFCI outlets. Frankly, they are a pain.

 

[oil pan 4]

I ran my plug in mower off a non gfi 25amp breaker for at least 5 years.
It was a "welding machine only" circuit lol.

 

[twX]

I would just replace the outlet and see if the new one trips or not.

There are GFCI breakers that are less sensitive, with trip settings of 30 mA, instead of 5 mA. In North America, they're only intended for equipment protection, but in other countries they're often used for personnel protection as well. Using one probably wouldn't be to code, but it should still prevent electrocution at least 99% of the time. Just be sure the trip time isn't over 100 ms.

 

[nwjones18]

I'd just replace it with a normal outlet myself.. First thing I did in the new house on my garage circuit since I keep a freezer out there.

 

[IndianaDIY]

Don't run your lawnmower off a regular circuit sharred with other stuff....especially if it's a 15amp circuit.
Check your breaker box to understand what is what (what else is on the same circuit and the amp rating) if you have not already.
If you don't know or don't have a dedicated 20+ amp circuit....do the below.
Just unplug your fridge and plug into your refrigerator outlet.
You can buy a GFCI adapter that connects to your extension cord also as an easy solution.
You can easily do some damage to your electrical otherwise.

 

[nomas]

I would just replace the outlet and see if the new one trips or not.

There are GFCI breakers that are less sensitive, with trip settings of 30 mA, instead of 5 mA. In North America, they're only intended for equipment protection, but in other countries they're often used for personnel protection as well. Using one probably wouldn't be to code, but it should still prevent electrocution at least 99% of the time. Just be sure the trip time isn't over 100 ms.

If the GFCI receptacle is required by Code ( Outdoors , etc. ) then a 5ma device is required . In the U.S. a 30 ma device is not used for personnel protection and telling people that it's ok to do so is irresponsible .

 

[twX]

If the GFCI receptacle is required by Code ( Outdoors , etc. ) then a 5ma device is required . In the U.S. a 30 ma device is not used for personnel protection and telling people that it's ok to do so is irresponsible .

I acknowledged that it wouldn't meet US codes, and is less safe than a 5 mA device. I don't see it as irresponsible to suggest a much safer alternative to eliminating the GFCI entirely, which is a common thing to do. Already in this thread we have people who admit to doing this.

30 mA for a short time period is deemed safe enough for European countries, and it's well below the limit where cardiac arrest starts to become possible.

 

[nomas]

I never advocated eliminating GFCI protection . You do you ..

 

[E150GT]

I would just replace the outlet and see if the new one trips or not.

There are GFCI breakers that are less sensitive, with trip settings of 30 mA, instead of 5 mA. In North America, they're only intended for equipment protection, but in other countries they're often used for personnel protection as well. Using one probably wouldn't be to code, but it should still prevent electrocution at least 99% of the time. Just be sure the trip time isn't over 100 ms.

For some reason they are more expensive too than the personnel protection gfci

 

[zzyzzx]

Are you sure that the lawn mower doesn't have some sort of problem?
Consider the possibility the issue is the receptable that isn't tripping.

 

[George7941]

That is a possibility, have not had a chance to look into it further

 

[Mazomopar]

Are you sure that the lawn mower doesn't have some sort of problem?
Consider the possibility the issue is the receptable that isn't tripping.

Or the extension cord..

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

A gas lawnmower never trips a GFCI.

Anyplace damp environments are possible, GFCIs are required because at some point, enough people died that it was necessary to protect them from themselves. If swapping the lawnmower and/or the cord do not resolve the issue, call a professional electrician. Don’t become a statistic.

 

[SHOZ]

Or the extension cord..

Probably the extension cord or cord on the machine.

 

[JHZR2]

We have a fluorescent light that trips the gfci all the time in our basement. I think it’s the second one, I replaced an older one because it did too. Tends to be when they’re on for a long time. Heat related? Arcing? Breakdown? Leakage current?

I get it that the NEC is written in blood. It also doesn’t care how much inconvenience, spoilage, etc. happens.

Some things have exceptions. This one I doubt. So what’s the option? New battery mower? New gas mower? 30mA GFCI?

 

[George7941]

I found a defective wire nutted joint inside the house from where this GFCI receptacle was fed. Cleaned up the wiring and the GFCI does not trip any more.

Don't understand why a bad joint would cause the tripping since any arcing taking place at the joint was not to ground and the line and neutral currents through the GFCI would have been exactly matched. My best guess is that the inductive nature of the lawn mower motor current, along with the arcing causing varying current leads to unbalanced current in the GFCI.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Not sure if I get this. Are you actually running a lawn mower with an extension cord? Head down to Home Depot and take a look at the battery units.