UPS tripping GFI circut 2

[DTSMAN]

For the second time in a year I have ran into a situation where the electrician puts in a GFI circut breaker by code, and I put in a UPS per specs that I follow and the UPS trips these circut breakers very easily. He will not undo it because it is code, customer doesn't want to give up the UPS.
Has anyone else had to overcome this situation? If so, what was the resolution?

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[pbxn]

Assuming that equiptment is not installed close to a water source (sink, toilet etc) which code exactly is he following?

 

[GMgerry]

What code is he reffering to? As pbxn states no water or such no GFI nneded.

Were is the UPS being placed?

 

[oldtimerbob]

Why are you connecting the UPS to a GFI?
You should have a 'dedicated' circut with enough load to hold the amperage pulled by the UPS instead. ( which in turn should be rated for the total amps pulled by your devices connected to it).
Good Luck
Robert

 

[DTSMAN]

Standard 15 and 20 amp GFI breakers come set at 5miliamp. The electrician called this morning and is going to implement a 300miliamp GFI and he feels that should do it after reading the spec sheet on the UPS.
And yes, the circut is near water, and there is a code that states, per the electrician, that a GFI ckt can not share the same conduit as a non GFI ckt, making it cost-prohibitive to run a dedicated line without major work, because I did suggest that. I am sure the higher amp breaker will rectify this issue.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[pbxn]

Thus the price of tech stuff. All my stuff is on dedicated circuits and doesn't share with other feeds. Where exactly is the water in relation to the outlet in question?

 

[SYQUEST]

What make/model is the UPS?

What code section is the electrician referencing that says that the two ckts cannot share the same CONDUIT?

....JIM....

 

[dagwoodsystems]

He's replacing the existing with a 300ma GFCI? Hmmm. A GFCI (or GFI) is supposed to trip on ground faults, not high loads. Shutting down an excessively loaded circuit is the job of the circuit breaker, not the local outlet.

I'll be interested in the results of this change. Please be sure to give us all a post-mortem on this excercise. If this doesn't work, we may have to look at that UPS a little closer.

If the outlet is near water, then I suppose the switch is as well. All I can say about that is please be careful.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

How is this project going, DTSMAN? I'd love to hear how that new GFI is working out for you. Please post back.

 

[DTSMAN]

I guess things are ok now. I have not heard from the customer. The electrician must have rectified the problem.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[DTSMAN]

Oh yea, I think I misunderstood the size, I believe he put in a 30 milliamp GFI in place of the standard 5 milliamp (not 300 milliamp). These are available and are what are used for outdoor heater wires for pipes and stuff of that nature.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[buitenhek]

What about the conduit sharing? I'm not familiar with that "local" code.....

Regards
Peter Buitenhek
ProfitDeveloper.com

 

[dagwoodsystems]

High and low voltage wiring can only be shared in the same channel if it is designed to do that (usually by introducing a partition to separate the two).

In no part of the country are you allowed to run 110V in the same conduit as voice/data cabling without some kind of protective separation.

 

[DTSMAN]

I am not an electrician, so I do not know and will not bother to ask why they can not be in the same conduit. It is possible I may have misunderstood his ramblings while we were playing the blame game.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[wires]

that a GFI ckt can not share the same conduit as a non GFI ckt"

I have never heard of such a requirement. GFCI circuits cannot share neutral conductors with other circuits but I can't see why that would extend to conduits since a conduit may carry conductors for many different circuits.

210.8 of the NEC covers most GFCI requirements for branch circuits and makes no mention of this conduit issue. Additionally if the building is not a dwelling unit the requirement for GFCIs in garages and unfinished basements does not apply. Article 300 covers wiring methods and makes no mention of this prohibition.

A free version of the latest NEC can be found here:

http://www.nfpa.org/freecodes/free_access_agreement.asp?id=7005SB&cookie_test=1

The NEC is a guidebook and many jurisdictions have varying requirements and interpretations. However just because an electrician says "it's code" does not mean it is so. In this case it is somewhat likely that there is no "code" requirement for a GFCI on a dedicated circuit feeding your UPS. Additionally it is even less likely that wiring for your dedicated outlet cannot share conduit with GFCI circuits. It sounds to me like the electrician is trying to get out of running more wire.

Substitution of a higher trip current GFCI removes most of the reason they are required. For protecting humans from electrocution a trip current of 4 to 6 mA is a good idea. A decent primer on GFCIs can be found here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device