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I have a GFI next to a water heater. It keeps going out, so I disconnected the plugs going into the outlet, reset it, and a few minutes later it went off again. So I went to the breaker box, shut off the water heater and a bunch of other stuff, reset the GFI, and after a few minutes it cut off again. My question: could it be the GFI that needs replacing? One of the plugs that had gone into it previously was a little bluish where it touched the outlet (not the prongs though). I am going to have an electrician out, but if it is a simple fix like this I know he will want some other work to make his visit worthwhile.
You might be surprised to learn just how much "mechanical stuff" is inside a GFCI. This kid does a nice job of showing whats inside -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ft9SkGEE0 He even manages a nice explanation of how they work.
Your's probably has a similar failure; if you don't know how to test the outlet AND diagnose any potential issues that may exist you should hire an electrician. Not sure what you mean by "bluish" but that can be the residue from a short, just like in the kid's video...
I agree that you should bundle any other small jobs so it makes sense for a licensed electrician to come out...
Perhaps... or it's doing exactly what it is supposed to.
Again... What do you have plugged into it?
And what is it that you have plugged in there?
The two plugs inserted into it were heat strips that wrap around the pipes since the water heater is in an unheated workshop. I thought they would not be activated in the summer so I left them plugged in full time, but that may have been a mistake.
Thanks above for the interior shots of the GFI. Yes, it is complicated. It's hard for me to see all the wiring stuff, but maybe the waterheater itself is hard wired in?
Simplest maybe to buy a quality GFCI and replace... I like Hubbel and it is all I buy for the Hospital.
Unfortunately, GFCI replacement is part of property management... about half the time it is the GFCI and the other it is the GFCI doing exactly what it is suppose to do.
So far I have not had a bad GFCI breaker... also, breakers tend to be better protected.
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