ATTENTION ELECTRICIANS! ground fault circuit breaker problem; help!!?

Question

Hello. Why would a GFCI circuit breaker trip when the neutral is in its proper place? I put in a hot tub and wired it in via a sub-panel spa panel. It's a Brett Aqualine hot tub with one of those weird 110/240 switches built in via a control panel with A LOT of relays and capacitors involved. The main panel is a big GE 200 amp job; the spa panel is a Murray 125 amp with a 50 amp GFCI included. The GE panel has a standard 40 amp breaker feeding the spa panel and its GFCI. With a regular breaker is placed in the Murray panel the hot tub runs like a skunked monkey. If the 50 amp GFCI breaker is put in WITHOUT putting the neutral in place, it runs the same way, BUT when the neutral is tied in it trips instantly. I tried every thing I could think of without luck. I'm beginning to think the hot tub control panel is bad; maybe I should replace it with a regular 220 volt hot tub control panel; the kind without 3-4 relays and 100s of capacitors tied in on goofy switch. Any ideas? Patrick

2007-08-06T19:55:16Z

I thought the GFCI was bad too...so I exchanged it; the same thing is happening with the replacement----???

Is there an add-in part like an isolator I can put between the GFCI and the hot tub/load????

Patrick

greg w · Accepted Answer

First make sure you that  the neutral from the tub is tied to the GFCI breaker not the neutral bar.The neutral from the breaker to the neutral  bar.

The wires from the tub go on the breaker.The disconnect panel is a Main Lug Only panel (MLO),that's where the Line goes in.You load comes from the breaker to the tub 

If that's not it there may be a ground between the ground & neutral going to or at the tub.

Good luck & hope this helps

John himself · Answer

I'd guess that somewhere in there, there is a connection between ground and neutral. That will cause the GFCI to trip as some of the neutral current is traveling along the ground to the panel. Remove the ground wire between the spa and the Murray panel and see what happens. If that fixes it, you will need to find that connection in the spa and open it. Email if you need more help.

? · Answer

under no circumstances upon under no circumstances replace a circuit breaker with considered one of a extra physically powerful amperage. The circuit breaker is rated to the scale of load the cord can appropriately cope with. Doing so will pose to be a fire possibility...the overload could reason the cord to overheat and soften the insulation on it, and could reason a short and a fire. If the circuit breaker seems to be defective, replace it with a clean 15 amp one. changing a circuit breaker could properly be a selfmade project, in simple terms use commonplace electric protection practices. via the sound of what you have for a load, i will see why the it could be tripping. The heater could properly be truthfully be pulling a minimum of 10 amps or extra constructive and the microwave could be around eight amps...till that's a convection sort that are around 12 amps. you desire the placed intense draw equipment including warmers and microwaves on separate circuits.

pappy · Answer

I'm simple minded so; maybe that GFI breaker is bad.
Did you also say that the Spa has it's own GFI? I've heard of problems with having two GFI outlets in line with each other. Same may be true for breakers.

KOHA · Answer

One suggestion:
Make sure you neutral is Isolated from ground and not shared by any other circuit.

ATTENTION ELECTRICIANS! ground fault circuit breaker problem; help!!?

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