Why does my dryer trip the GFCI?

Their explanation was that the amp fluctuations drawn by the dryer would cause the GFCI to trip.

Why would a GFCI trip immediately?





Ground-Fault Occurrence

Usually, GFCIs function by detecting when the current is flowing along an unintended path (e.g., through water or a person). The instant the GFCI detects there is even the slightest of current leakage as low as 0.005 amps, it trips right away.

Can moisture cause GFCI to trip?

Moisture – Moisture anywhere in the line will trip the GFCI. This is the most common problem for outside outlets. Water can get into outdoor electrical boxes if they’re uncovered or if there’s an excessive amount of rain or high humidity. Moisture can also get inside the wiring of an appliance.

How do you fix a GFCI outlet that keeps tripping?

What to do:

  1. Unplug all appliances on that outlet’s circuit.
  2. Push the reset button.
  3. Plug in one appliance at a time until the GFCI trips. …
  4. Unplug appliances that were on before the GFCI tripped and see if the last appliance that you plugged in still trips the GFCI. …
  5. Replace or repair the appliance that tripped the outlet.




Should a dryer be plugged into a GFCI outlet?

There are no conditional distances in those spaces: if the receptacle is installed in the laundry room/area, it requires GFCI protection. Therefore, clothes dryers are now required to be GFCI protected because they are in the laundry area.

How can you tell if a GFCI outlet is bad?

How to Tell If a GFCI Is Bad. When a GFCI trips, it won’t supply power, so your hair dryer or power saw won’t work, and if a tripped GFCI is at the beginning of a circuit, it will cut power to the entire circuit, so other outlets and lights on the circuit won’t work either.

Can an overload trip a GFCI?

Overloads don’t trip a GFCI.



If there was an overload, it would trip the actual circuit breaker. Since this is a GFCI/receptacle (as opposed to a GFCI/breaker) and the GFCI trips, that is a GFCI problem – 100% – and not an overcurrent situation.