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I suspect that having TWO heat cables plugged into ONE outlet has created a situation that lead to early demise of the device. Even a top not quality GFCI is going have its service life shortened by having high draw / long running devices plugged into it...
Ideally whatever situation causes the freezing pipes could be addressed by passive things like better insulation, different distribution of the home's standard heat, or relocation of the pipes. If those things are not possible and the heating cables are the only way to prevent freezing it would be smart to have additional circuits added so that each tape has its own dedicated device...
You might need to upgrade to a 20 amp commercial GFCI... cost more and commercial or Spec is a lot more but I do find with GFCI you get what you pay for.
You could have other receptacles along the branch circuit that are backstabbed, though usually that sets off arc faults, not ground faults. Backstabbing is the biggest cause of arc faults. I would replace the unit first and see what happens.
You might need to upgrade to a 20 amp commercial GFCI... cost more and commercial or Spec is a lot more but I do find with GFCI you get what you pay for.
the internal gfci components are the same whether contractor grade , commercial grade ,spec grade or hospital grade , . it is the outlet construction and tests it is subjected to that are different
I have had so many bad Home Depot "Contractor Pack" GFCI bad or go bad it makes me wonder... some fail to reset... some will not trip for anything... even tested on the bench.
At the hospital circa 1995 for the big build I have about 100 Hubbel GFCI and so far not a single one has failed and they are inspected/tested regularly.... over 20 years and zero failure rate...
hospital grade stuff has to pass certain tests like weights on cords dropped a certain distance . prong tension has to meet certain ft lbs , etc , but the gfci component is the same in all .
i have been an electrical wholesaler for 40 years and can count on one hand the number of actual gfci's i have seen come back .
there are cheap shoddy imports out there so i can't speak for them but anything hubbell or leviton is pretty trouble free
GFCI are VERY sensitive. Even just the hint of a little moisture will trip them. More than likely the GFCI is fine.
Start by unplugging everything that is connected into that circuit. Chances are there is one GFCI at the head of the line, and there are many outlets downstream from the GFCI. Follow the line (turn off the breaker if you have to to see what goes out) and unplug everything on the circuit.
Now try the breaker.
If it still trips, and u have the skill, unwire the GFCI after turning off the power to that circuit and install a regular outlet. Turn on the breaker? Does it trip? NO? Then it is likely the GFCI. If it trips, there is a short somewhere else in your line.
As a last test, if the breaker did not trip, reinstall the existing GFCI and see what happens with everything on that circuit unplugged. Everything fine? Add the plug-ins one at a time and see what happens. Chances are that circuit leads to outside receptacles, or other "wet" locations. Check them all carefully. Dry them with a hair dryer if there is even a hint of moisture.
Can be VERY frustrating. Even a slight voltage leak from a nearby florescent light or the water heater igniter can cause the GFCI to trip.
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