Re: [RC] GFI Circuit Breakers + Frozen Water Buckets - Sisu West Ranch
The GFI units are doing exactly what they are
supposed to do. If you have an electrical device plugged into a normal
circuit breaker, the breaker will not trip until the total curent exceeds the
value on the breaker for a considerable time. This means that there could
be a leakage (ground fault) in a water heater sufficient to give a noticable (or
even fatal) shock to your horse and not even come close to tripping the normal
breaker. One of my older vets in WI said that before the use of GFI's was
part of the electrical code, he often got colic calls in the winter when a small
leakage in a tank heater turned the water into a mini electric fence and the
horse stopped drinking.
With a GFI (it makes no difference if you are
talking the socket kind or the breaker box kind) it will instantly trip, long
before the leakage gets big enough to cause a noticable shock and everyone is
happy. Usually the heater element is at fault, the cure is to buy a new one
(much cheaper than a new horse or a colic call.). Many barns have old,
neglected wiring and often old extension cords run all over the place to the
heaters. Either of these can trip a GFI. You just have to keep
resetting the GFI while removing suspect parts of the circuit. If you get
to the wall and it still trips it is time to have the barn
rewired.
ED
Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower
Road Victor, MT 59875
