Hi. I finally got my 50A GFCI breaker installed (swapping out the non-GFCI 50A breaker) by an electrician two days ago. It is from my main panel and run directly to the 14-50 outlet. I don't know why it keeps tripping every now and then for doing nothing ( nothing is plugged in and we are not even running thing more than usual in the house). I have the MC connected to it. I asked the electrician and he said this
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50A GFCI breaker trips for nothing
- Thread starter Nikon201068
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Ok. I'll try that. The only thing connected is the Tesla Mobile charger. It does not always trip. The MC is connected constantly since the GFCI breaker was put in couple days ago. It tripped 2-3 times while not charging or hooked up to the car. I reset it and charged the car ok.
Today, no car charging at all. I came home and saw it's tripped again with just the MC connected to the outlet.
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EVSEs usually take a small amount of current from one of the hot pins and sink it into ground to make sure that the ground isn't floating because a floating ground could be a safety issue. But current coming from one of the hot wires and not going back through the other hot wire or neutral is exactly what GFCIs are supposed to detect. So if the GFCI is too sensitive or the EVSE is pushing just a little too much current through the ground, the GFCI could trip. Of course, if it's tripping when you have nothing connected to the outlet then that's an entirely separate issue that you need to have solved.
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Thanks. Should I just leave the MC unplugged from the 14-50 receptacle for 24 hours or so to see if it trips by itself again?
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If it's always tripping within 24 hours, then that's what I'd do. If the behavior changes then you know that the cause is the EVSE. And I explained why in my previous post.
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ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
That could also be part of your problem. I had nothing but trouble with Gen2 and subpanel with its own GFCI.
Switched to Gen1’s and smooth sailing since plus it pulls the full 40A.
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Hmm, interesting. I do have the gen 1 also but I left it at work to charge when I'm at work. I'll try gen 1 this Monday and see. Thanks
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Assuming the GFCI breaker isn't defective, it tripping means that there is a current imbalance between the input and the output conductors.
So, I would check a few things:
1) Make sure that the GFCI breaker has its neutral pigtail directly tied to the neutral bar in the panel
2) Make sure that there is nothing connected to the neutral output of the 50A GFCI breaker (or, only a neutral run directly to the NEMA 14-50 outlet that your HPWC connector is connected to. The H{WC doesn't use the neutral, but it is important that nothing else is connected to it)
3) Make sure that the L1 and L2 (usually red and black) conductors go directly to the HPWC and are not connected to anything else.
4) Make sure that the neutral and ground conductors are NOT connected after the GFCI breaker anywhere. One way to test this is to disconnect them at the panel and ring them out with a meter. They should have no connection.
5) Try a different HPWC... it is possible that the unit you have is leaking some current to ground that it should not be (One way to test this: a clamp meter over the ground wire coming back from your HPWC. It should read 0A always, including when charging).
So, I would check a few things:
1) Make sure that the GFCI breaker has its neutral pigtail directly tied to the neutral bar in the panel
2) Make sure that there is nothing connected to the neutral output of the 50A GFCI breaker (or, only a neutral run directly to the NEMA 14-50 outlet that your HPWC connector is connected to. The H{WC doesn't use the neutral, but it is important that nothing else is connected to it)
3) Make sure that the L1 and L2 (usually red and black) conductors go directly to the HPWC and are not connected to anything else.
4) Make sure that the neutral and ground conductors are NOT connected after the GFCI breaker anywhere. One way to test this is to disconnect them at the panel and ring them out with a meter. They should have no connection.
5) Try a different HPWC... it is possible that the unit you have is leaking some current to ground that it should not be (One way to test this: a clamp meter over the ground wire coming back from your HPWC. It should read 0A always, including when charging).
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It's a 14-50 outlet, not a HPWC. A HPWC should not be connected to a GFCI breaker at all.
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It's a Mobile charger, not Wall charger. I have a separate dedicated line to the HPWC using non-GFCI breaker and it works fine.
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