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That probably indicates a fault in the exhaust fan; either a motor winding has failed, or the fan is wired improperly.

Just to amplify - The Ground Fault Current/Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) detects current flowing to ground that should instead be flowing in the fan. This means somewhere in the fan the Hot wire has an unintended path to ground and is a shock hazard. You should check the wiring to the fan (with power off) and make sure there are no bare wires that could be causing your problem and if you don't see anything obvious you should replace the fan.

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14y ago
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6mo ago

The exhaust fan may be causing a small electrical leakage or imbalance, which can trigger the GFCI to trip as it is designed to detect even the slightest variation in current flow to prevent the risk of electrical shock. It's important to have the electrical wiring and connections of the exhaust fan checked by a qualified electrician to ensure they are properly installed and grounded.

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Q: Why does GFCI plug trip when exhaust fan is turned on?
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What happens when you plug a GFCI protected extension cord into an outlet that is GFCI protected?

When a GFCI-protected extension cord is plugged into an outlet that is also GFCI protected, it provides an additional layer of protection against electric shock. Both devices work in conjunction to quickly detect any imbalance in the electrical current and trip the circuit if necessary. This redundancy helps ensure increased safety against electrical hazards.


How many amps does gfci trip at?

GFCI receptacles are designed to trip at around 5 milliamps (0.005 amps) of current leakage to ground. When the GFCI detects this level of imbalance, it quickly shuts off the power to prevent electric shock.


How much amperage is needed to trip a 20amp GFCI outlet?

A 20 amp GFCI outlet will trip when the current exceeds 20 amps by a certain amount, typically around 5 mA to 6 mA, which is the typical trip threshold for GFCI outlets.


Will a GFCI outlet trip when the current is reduced or shut off?

A GFCI outlet will trip when it detects a ground fault, not when the current is simply reduced or shut off. The purpose of the GFCI outlet is to quickly shut off power when it senses a potential electrical hazard, such as a ground fault or leakage.


Why does the GFCI plug trip when the bathroom exhaust fan is turned on?

The bathroom exhaust fan might be causing a ground fault, which triggers the GFCI to trip as a safety measure to prevent electric shock. It could be due to a wiring issue, water leakage into the fan, or a faulty fan motor. It's important to have an electrician inspect and repair the issue to ensure safety.

Related questions

What happens if you trip a GFCI repeatedly on purpose?

Every time you trip the GFCI, the power to the device plugged into it will lose its supply voltage.


What happens when you plug a GFCI protected extension cord into an outlet that is GFCI protected?

When a GFCI-protected extension cord is plugged into an outlet that is also GFCI protected, it provides an additional layer of protection against electric shock. Both devices work in conjunction to quickly detect any imbalance in the electrical current and trip the circuit if necessary. This redundancy helps ensure increased safety against electrical hazards.


How many amps does gfci trip at?

GFCI receptacles are designed to trip at around 5 milliamps (0.005 amps) of current leakage to ground. When the GFCI detects this level of imbalance, it quickly shuts off the power to prevent electric shock.


How much amperage is needed to trip a 20amp GFCI outlet?

A 20 amp GFCI outlet will trip when the current exceeds 20 amps by a certain amount, typically around 5 mA to 6 mA, which is the typical trip threshold for GFCI outlets.


Will a GFCI outlet trip when the current is reduced or shut off?

A GFCI outlet will trip when it detects a ground fault, not when the current is simply reduced or shut off. The purpose of the GFCI outlet is to quickly shut off power when it senses a potential electrical hazard, such as a ground fault or leakage.


Why does the GFCI plug trip when the bathroom exhaust fan is turned on?

The bathroom exhaust fan might be causing a ground fault, which triggers the GFCI to trip as a safety measure to prevent electric shock. It could be due to a wiring issue, water leakage into the fan, or a faulty fan motor. It's important to have an electrician inspect and repair the issue to ensure safety.


When would it be a better idea in a residence to install a GFCI breaker instead of an GFCI outlet?

GFCI Breakers are quite a bit more expensive than a GFCI outlet. More often than not a typical residence will need only a handful of GFCI outlets that combined together will be cheaper than a GFCI breaker. If you need to protect a series of outlets with GFCI protection you can simply connect the rest of the outlets on that same circuit downstream from the first outlet on the line and make that the GFCI. All you have to do is connect all the other outlets to the LOAD side of the GFCI outlet. If a GFCI fault occurs in any of the outlets down stream they will trip that very first GFCI plug you placed and keep you safe.


What is the trip time for a GFCI?

A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is designed to trip within milliseconds when it detects a fault, such as a ground fault or leakage current. This rapid response helps to protect against electric shock by quickly shutting off power.


Can a difference of 5 milliamperes for 30 milliseconds trip a gfci?

Yes it can.


Why do you continue to trip your GFCI in the garage when you plug in your Christmas lights into the outside receptical?

You might be overloading the circuit. What else is drawing power on that circuit or phase? Are your lights really OK or is there a short somewhere?.


What is a GFCI plug?

Ground fault circuit interrupter. Turns off the the power to the outlet, when the there is a leakage in current. example when you stick your finger in the outlet and the current leaks threw your body


Will another electrical outlet that is in line with a GFCI outlet cause it to kick off?

A down stream receptacle that is connected to the upstream GFCI will be protected. If the downstream receptacle senses a fault the upstream GFCI will trip.