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Old 03-30-2023, 01:46 PM   #1
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Post Flagstaff Epro 19bh GFCI Trips easily when plugged into Shore Power. WFCO 5110rs

I'm just submitting this thread in case anyone else has this problem. I couldn't put much of a load on my AC outlets without the GFCI tripping (usually a electric tea kettle at about 750 watts). This led me to believe that they weren't hooked up to the pass through system coming from shore power.

With the battery taken out and the inverter turned off, everything worked in the trailer except AC outlets. With the inverter turned on, the outlets worked. This indicated to me that the power center was sending converted DC signal to the the inverter to be switched back over to AC, then delivered to the outlets. Hence, the ease with which they would trip.

I discovered on the WFCO 5110rs 1000 watt inverter that there is a power cord attached with a 3 prong plugin. There's also an unmarked white outlet close to the inverter that has one open outlet and one that is a dummy. The factory had not plugged that cord in. I crossed my fingers and plugged it in, turned the inverter off, and it worked without the inverter powered up. This maybe something to check if you are having a similar problem.
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Old 04-03-2023, 08:48 AM   #2
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Good catch. My understanding is that the plug you plugged in is the pass through path for AC power coming from the shore hookup.
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Old 04-03-2023, 12:19 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtgaddis View Post
I'm just submitting this thread in case anyone else has this problem. I couldn't put much of a load on my AC outlets without the GFCI tripping (usually a electric tea kettle at about 750 watts). This led me to believe that they weren't hooked up to the pass through system coming from shore power.

With the battery taken out and the inverter turned off, everything worked in the trailer except AC outlets. With the inverter turned on, the outlets worked. This indicated to me that the power center was sending converted DC signal to the the inverter to be switched back over to AC, then delivered to the outlets. Hence, the ease with which they would trip.

I discovered on the WFCO 5110rs 1000 watt inverter that there is a power cord attached with a 3 prong plugin. There's also an unmarked white outlet close to the inverter that has one open outlet and one that is a dummy. The factory had not plugged that cord in. I crossed my fingers and plugged it in, turned the inverter off, and it worked without the inverter powered up. This maybe something to check if you are having a similar problem.
I probably should not comment because I don't fully understand what you are describing. However, GFCIs only trip because of current leakage as detected at the GFCI. The GFCI compares the current on the positive and the neutral. If the difference is 4 or 5 milliamps the GFCI will trip. Any fault will be downstream of the GFCI, not upstream.
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Old 04-03-2023, 12:40 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by PhilFromMaine View Post
I probably should not comment because I don't fully understand what you are describing. However, GFCIs only trip because of current leakage as detected at the GFCI. The GFCI compares the current on the positive and the neutral. If the difference is 4 or 5 milliamps the GFCI will trip. Any fault will be downstream of the GFCI, not upstream.
I'm a bit confused too.

Because the INverter was NOT plugged into the AC outlet for it to "sense" shore power, the INverter was never automatically transferring AC shore power to the outlets... hence the limitation of watts supplied by the inverter... that part I understand.

I don't understand why a high current device caused the GFCI outlet to trip?

Maybe the OP actually meant the circuit breaker on the INverter???
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Old 04-05-2023, 08:47 AM   #5
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Gfci trip cause

Someone in the thread nailed it with the watts comment. The ac outlets were pullin all its juice from the battery instead of shore power leading it to trip easily. I've since been able to run a space heater through the night with no problem on shore power.
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