Overvoltage is tripping the GFI, Why?

[Bruce Sieloff]

Woke up to the power out on the fridge this morning, an issue we have had several times when in parks with high voltage power issues. The GFI on the circuit the Refrigerator is on was tripped. The fridge is a 13 year old Whirlpool, but hasn't given this kind of issue unless we experience overvoltage conditions. I cannot recreate the fault by simply flipping the breaker off and on. Interestingly, this only happens at night when we are asleep. The icemaker is turned off, has been for years since we invariably get an ice sheet with a few cubes for the effort. The park we are in has known issues with high voltage. Our 50 Amp Progressive surge protector cuts power at more than 132 volts. The Previous Error message on the surge indicates PE5, an overvoltage condition on Line 2 and indeed I read 130 volts on Line 2 this morning. My question is, why would the GFI trip when the power is terminated?  Should I be checking grounds on the fridge circuit?

[Jerry Emert]

You may just have a bad (or going bad) GFCI plug.  Just a thought.  Good luck.
Jerry

[Edward Buker]

Bruce,

There may be nothing wrong and the GFCI and it may just be doing its job. The overvoltage is reaching a trip condition in the Progressive Protection device. When that decides to cut the power, it evidently does it in a way that is not a clean break, that is some current is not accounted for. The power coming in has to equal the power out within 4 thousands of an amp or the GFCI trips. During the shutdown by the Progressive if the + leads trip before the neutral by just milliseconds, that would be enough, or if the Progressive just cuts the hot side as a disconnect like a breaker does that could also trip the GFCI.

The park should insist on fixing the overvoltage with the power company, it is just not a good condition even with protection. Protection always lags the event.

Consider doing the following...I have had better luck with less GFCI tripping with a GFCI made for a wet environment like this one and it may be just robust enough not to trip for the condition you are getting. I would change it out for this one and if this unit continues to trip just accept that it is doing its job.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-20-Amp-125-Volt-Duplex-Self-Test-Tamper-Resistant-Weather-Resistant-GFCI-Outlet-White-R02-GFWT2-0KW/205997283

Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[Bruce Sieloff]

Thanks Ed, We have only had the problem under flaky voltage conditions, I will replace the outlet with a 20amp ASAP. Just wish they came in brown.

[Edward Buker]

Bruce,

Here is one 15 amp version, see if the current one is 15 or a twenty amp version.

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-G5262-WT-Extra-Heavy-Industrial-Tamper-Resistant/dp/B019A2Y478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471809194&sr=8-1&keywords=weather+gfci+brown

Later Ed