GFCI tripping when installing steam shower

12coco12coco · 06-27-2008, 09:43 AM

I have a steam-shower Ariel-608 and all electrical connections were made following the electrical diagram by a professional electrician.
Every time I plug the power of the unit the GFCI keeps on popping out. The system works fine on a regular system circuit breaker. The breaker is 30 Amp and the steam shower uses 110V.
The feed line is good and it was checked by electrician.
Cold someone please help me solve this problem?

**DonaldG** · 07-01-2008, 11:53 AM

It sounds like the steam shower is faulty. If you have had all the other items checked out and they are OK it must be the shower

I am not sure about the 'GFCI' but if it is the same as the UK Earth Leakage trip switch, then it is tripping out because it can detect a leakage of voltage/current in from the feed line to ground. This would not Trip out a regular circuit breaker...

Take note of what the safety device it telling you - there is an electrical fault.

My advice is NOT to use the shower under any circumstances - either have it checked out by an expert with that class of equipment or dump it and get a new one.

teemo1 · 07-01-2008, 01:53 PM

Ditto the above-it is possible the leakage is in a place where it won't hurt you, but why take a chance when the consequences are so grave? You don't mention what if anything else is on that circuit. GFCIs are designed to protect a single load. Putting several items on one circuit (lights, receptacles, etc.) increases the chance of a leak to ground. One common problem is that the white neutral wire is connected as a case ground somewhere. AND be sure that there is no tripping device (overload or reset button, circuit breaker ,etc.) wired downstream of the GFCI.

06-27-2008, 09:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
12coco12coco Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1 OS: xp	GFCI tripping when installing steam shower I have a steam-shower Ariel-608 and all electrical connections were made following the electrical diagram by a professional electrician. Every time I plug the power of the unit the GFCI keeps on popping out. The system works fine on a regular system circuit breaker. The breaker is 30 Amp and the steam shower uses 110V. The feed line is good and it was checked by electrician. Cold someone please help me solve this problem?

07-01-2008, 11:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
DonaldG Moderator Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 7,332 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: GFCI tripping when installing steam shower It sounds like the steam shower is faulty. If you have had all the other items checked out and they are OK it must be the shower I am not sure about the 'GFCI' but if it is the same as the UK Earth Leakage trip switch, then it is tripping out because it can detect a leakage of voltage/current in from the feed line to ground. This would not Trip out a regular circuit breaker... Take note of what the safety device it telling you - there is an electrical fault. My advice is NOT to use the shower under any circumstances - either have it checked out by an expert with that class of equipment or dump it and get a new one. __________________ Submit New Articles Join the TSF Team for the Folding@Home Project. I did! Enter TSF Team number 85015

07-01-2008, 01:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
teemo1 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1 OS: winxp	Re: GFCI tripping when installing steam shower Ditto the above-it is possible the leakage is in a place where it won't hurt you, but why take a chance when the consequences are so grave? You don't mention what if anything else is on that circuit. GFCIs are designed to protect a single load. Putting several items on one circuit (lights, receptacles, etc.) increases the chance of a leak to ground. One common problem is that the white neutral wire is connected as a case ground somewhere. AND be sure that there is no tripping device (overload or reset button, circuit breaker ,etc.) wired downstream of the GFCI. Last edited by teemo1 : 07-01-2008 at 01:57 PM.