GFCI Repeated clicking noise...

Feb 18, 2004 1 Replies

I have a GFCI in my kitchen that seems to keep making a clicking noise. The GFCI is connected to one other outlet along the countertop. The funny thing is that it keeps doing this every 15 minutes or so even after it has tripped off (without me reseting it). This is the same noise as if it is tripping from the on to the off state. This is all happening while nothing is plugged into the outlets.



I have tested that the GFCI is working by plugging a light in and the light works when the GFCI is set, but turns off when I press the test button.



Is it a bad GFCI outlet?



Is this some way of indicating to a person that it has tripped by making the noise?



Is there somethign wrong with the wiring that I need to take a look at?



Any advice or other thoughts are appreciated.


-DK


| I have a GFCI in my kitchen that seems to keep making a clicking | noise. The GFCI is connected to one other outlet along the | countertop. The funny thing is that it keeps doing this every 15 | minutes or so even after it has tripped off (without me reseting it). | This is the same noise as if it is tripping from the on to the off | state. This is all happening while nothing is plugged into the | outlets.

This has happened to me, but more than just a little clicking, more like a continuous buzz. What caused it for me is the use of my 2 meter ham radio transmitter. I suspect the RF went down the line in common mode and triggered the detector that was sensing a current sum in the conductors (and indication that an appliance was leaking current to ground somewhere). Normally the current summed in the hot and neutral wires should be zero at all times.

| I have tested that the GFCI is working by plugging a light in and the | light works when the GFCI is set, but turns off when I press the test | button. | | Is it a bad GFCI outlet?

Maybe a bad unit, or maybe a bad design being triggered by something else. Or maybe something in the wiring cascaded downstream from it, if you have any like that.

| Is this some way of indicating to a person that it has tripped by | making the noise?

Does it only do it if tripped off? I've never heard of such a thing but I would not rule it out.

| Is there somethign wrong with the wiring that I need to take a look | at?

That's one possibility. You need to find out what all is on that circuit cascaded through that GFCI.

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