When you are walking through your living room, you are likely to see those outlets with the little test and reset buttons in your kitchen or bathroom. These Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are life-saving devices; the design is such that they cut off power immediately on detecting a leak. Safety standards set by the Electrical Safety Foundation International state that failure may happen in the form of nuisance tripping or device failure due to improper use. The knowledge of what might overpower these delicate sensors may maintain your home in smooth operation.
Large Refrigerators
Fridges with high-power compressors can experience a phantom trip as they start. Studies by the National Electrical Code indicate that these heavy loads would be more appropriate on special non-GFCI circuits.
Chest Freezers
A faulted GFCI on a freezer may result in hundreds of dollars of wasted food. Researchers indicate that such appliances may have slight current leakage that sensitive safety outlets can easily detect as a fault.
Sump Pumps
It is important to ensure your basement is kept dry, and moisture in the motor of a pump may cause a GFCI. According to NFPA data on safety, a nuisance trip in this case could possibly lead to localized flooding.
Garage Door Openers
The motors that move garage doors usually generate a spurt of power that may overcome internal filters. This burst may be interpreted as a ground fault, which may keep you out of the garage.
Space Heaters
Portable heaters consume a lot of current, which produces heat in the outlet itself. This thermal expansion may sometimes disrupt the finely tuned internal workings of a typical GFCI-protected wall unit.
Older Power Tools
The internal wiring of dated drills or saws can slightly break down in insulation. These small leaks are not necessarily harmful but numerous enough to cause a sensitive GFCI, according to industry safety reports.
High-End Gaming PCs
The switching power supplies of the components of a gaming rig can cause harmonic distortion. Studies have shown that this electrical feedback may cause a GFCI to trip, and you may lose the progress you had made in a game.
Microwave Ovens
Microwave heaters with old age or high power can contain internal parts that can release small portions of current. This leakage may be quite harmless, but it may be sufficient to meet the leakage setting of your outlet.
Window Air Conditioners
The large inductive load of an AC compressor initiating operation can cause a voltage dip. This variation can be misunderstood by the GFCI, which can shut down the cooling at the moment you require it.
Laser Printers
The fuser in printers fuses with a brief, high-intensity pulse of electricity to become warm. This abrupt load could cause a temporary imbalance to cause a GFCI outlet on the same circuit to trip.
Dehumidifiers
These units also have compressors that switch on and off frequently, just like in refrigerators. This high-draw cycle may also lead to the failure or tripping of a sensitive or aging GFCI outlet in the future due to its repetitive nature.
