pump kicking off CFI

[koagirl]

We're opening our pool and when we turn the switch for the pump, it's kicking off the CFI. We replaced the CFI and it's still kicking it off. (so in theory, it's not the CFI :) Thanks for any ideas, looking forward to pool season!

[jilted]

maybe you use a different term than me... is CFI the same as a GFCI outlet? are you tripping it and having to reset it?

I had a similar problem earlier this year but it was just my pump impeller would not spin and the internal protection would trip. I had to pull the motor off and I was able to "break it free" by hand and when i put it back together it has been fine ever since.

So my question would be does it sound like your pump motor is having a problem spinning up?

[CarlD]

Is it the GFCI popping or the breaker tripping? The breaker protects against too much current. The GFCI protects against an imbalance of current between the hot and the neutral, usually due to a short somewhere. I'd guess your problem is some insulation somewhere has rubbed off or burned off.

[kelemvor]

I would expect that a non spinning pump motor would trip a breaker before a GFCI as well. Here's a little more detail on how they work:


A residual-current device (RCD), or residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB), is an electrical wiring device that disconnects a circuit whenever it detects that the electric current is not balanced between the energized conductor and the return neutral conductor. Ground Fault Condition is defined as: An unintentional, electrically conducting connection between an ungrounded conductor of an electrical circuit and the normally non-current-carrying conductors, metallic enclosures, metallic raceways, metallic equipment or earth. Such an imbalance may indicate current leakage through the body of a person who is grounded and accidentally touching the energized part of the circuit. A lethal shock can result from these conditions. RCCBs are designed to disconnect quickly enough to prevent injury caused by such shocks. They are not intended to provide protection against overcurrent (overload) or short-circuit conditions.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFCI

Basically, if your GFCI is tripping you have a potentially hazardous situation. Is there any corrosion on the pump motor or wiring? If you can remove the back cover where the starter is, do you see any corrosion? If so, you might need to replace the pump. You can check the impeller to see if it freely turns, it won't hurt.

Also, inspect your earth ground and bonding lines. If you're grounded but not bonded, it could lead to current leaks across circuits which should trip a GFCI.