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Thread: GFCI breakers in the shop?

  1. #1
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    GFCI breakers in the shop?

    I'm building a new house and new shop with a new sub-panel. I figured I would put in GFCI breakers. Then I bought a Patriot Products electric wood chipper and the company doesn't recommend GFCI because the motor, on startup, tends to trip them. That makes me wonder if I should use GFCI on the circuits where there's a motor.

    Thoughts? The motor on the chipper looks like a TEFC to me. I had to install a special 20A breaker and dedicated outlet for the thing.

  2. #2
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    Excluding the lighting circuits, all the rest of my 120vac circuits in my shop are on GFCIs with absolutely no problems. Not one trip have I experienced.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
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    My lathe will dependably trip a GFCI.
    The manufacture of my sewage pump says it will trip a GFCI, though I have never tried it.

    Never had a problem with any other motor anywhere.

  4. #4
    I have GFCI on all my 120V circuits in my shop. I have a scroll saw that would cause an older GFCI device to trip, but when I replaced the GFCI with a modern one, it doesn't trip with the scroll saw. I'd test your chipper on a GFCI circuit and see what happens. If it trips, then put it on a non-GFCI circuit. The GFCI provides good shock protection and that's especially important for outdoor tools where your feet may be in damp conditions.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  5. #5
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    In my area if I want to upgrade my main panel I will have to install Arc fault breakers.I might do it anyway since my house is part 2 wire and 3 wire.
    And we have squirrels that like to sharpen their teeth on my line drop.
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    Aj

  6. #6
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    I wired my shop with GFCIs on all 110v receptacle circuits (six or eight) EXCEPT for the circuit which powers one of my lathes. The VFD on that lathe always trips the GFCI so I removed it. All the other circuits work fine with a variety of motors.

    JKJ

  7. #7
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    All the exterior outlets of our house are on GFCI breakers. I run an electric lawn mower on them and it works fine, but it does not really a really big motor (13A draw at start up).

  8. #8
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    I tried both outlets and breaker GFCI/AHCI combo units and they constantly tripped with several tools. Read that they arent required in a garage per code so I removed them, returned them and have no interest in putting them back.
    If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Ben Rivel View Post
    I tried both outlets and breaker GFCI/AHCI combo units and they constantly tripped with several tools. Read that they aren't required in a garage per code so I removed them, returned them and have no interest in putting them back.
    You don't have to have GFCI breakers in the garage, but the outlets must be GFCI protected in the garage in CA.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  10. #10
    I thought the NEC required GFCI in the garage but I haven't looked at in in a long time. I have them on my shop circuits and have never tripped them at startup of a tool. I used the outlet type because they are cheaper. Almost all my tools are universal motors, however.

  11. #11
    General purpose outlets in garage have to be GFCI, but DEDICATED OUTLETS don't. Think freezer, washer / dryer. Lucky for me when I built my shop in 1980, only outlets closest to door had to be GFCI. In our house had to rearrange some circuits, as t-12 light over vanity would trip GFCI EVERY TIME it was turned off

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    You don't have to have GFCI breakers in the garage, but the outlets must be GFCI protected in the garage in CA.

    Mike
    Actually, you are correct. The 120V circuits required them, it was the 220V ones that didnt.
    If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Ben Rivel View Post
    Actually, you are correct. The 120V circuits required them, it was the 220V ones that didn't.
    Yes, sorry for not specifying 120V. I had it in my head but didn't put it down.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  14. #14
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    Add me to the list of folks with GFCI breakers in the shop. No problems at all and have never tripped with any of the tools I run.

    The only thing I couldn't do that I wanted to was to run 12/3 romex and put 2 120V circuits in a single run - need a separate neutral for each GFCI breaker.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    You don't have to have GFCI breakers in the garage, but the outlets must be GFCI protected in the garage in CA.

    Mike
    Mike,

    I always do things to code. It makes it easier to pass inspections that way!

    When I built my shop, I placed all my outlets about 50" above the floor in case I chose to lean a sheet of plywood up against the wall, I'd still have access to the outlet. When the electrical inspector came to inspect my rough-in, he said that normally a shop is considered a "garage" and I would be required to have GFCI protection on all the 120vac outlets but because my outlets were so high above the floor, he didn't think they would be necessary. I put them in anyway.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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