GFCI protected circuits

[jameslandry]

LGL brand has an end-of-life monitoring feature that makes the red light turn on as soon as the GFCI receptacle outlet stops working and needs replacement. So, you will know when your ground fault protection no longer works and you need to install a new one.

[JPG]

LGL brand has an end-of-life monitoring feature that makes the red light turn on as soon as the GFCI receptacle outlet stops working and needs replacement. So, you will know when your ground fault protection no longer works and you need to install a new one.

BS! What is end of life, and what causes it to occur?

[DLB]

LGL brand has an end-of-life monitoring feature that makes the red light turn on as soon as the GFCI receptacle outlet stops working and needs replacement. So, you will know when your ground fault protection no longer works and you need to install a new one.

BS! What is end of life, and what causes it to occur?

BS, I agree. Many newer GFCI devices have a 'Self Test' as imposed recently by UL. Meant, I think, to supplement the test button. I would guess they are calling any self test failure end of life. Which, while probably true, conflicts with other uses of 'end of life.' Maybe it's lost in the translation. From their Amazon ad: "End-of-Life Monitoring - RED lights turn on immediately if GFCI displays alarm during operation, reminding user the GFCI reaches end-of-life and must be replaced." I'm confident this is not unique to LGL brand, other than the wording/marketing. It's fundamentally the same as if you press the test button on your 40 year old GFCI outlet and it doesn't trip. Except for the replacement cost.

- David

[beeg]

" end-of-life". So a built it self-destruct.

[RFGuy]

LGL brand has an end-of-life monitoring feature that makes the red light turn on as soon as the GFCI receptacle outlet stops working and needs replacement. So, you will know when your ground fault protection no longer works and you need to install a new one.

So the person who posted this copied it nearly word for word from this website: https://www.galvinpower.org/best-gfci-outlets/
Do we think this is a case of a legit forum member who copied this from the internet trying to be helpful, or is this a product spammer selling a product??? Moderators please review this.

Excerpt:
"This brand has an end-of-life monitoring feature that makes the red light turn on as soon as the GFCI receptacle outlet stops working and needs replacement. So, you will know when your ground fault protection no longer works and you need to install a new one."

[JPG]

One reason I called it BS.

[RFGuy]

One reason I called it BS.

Agreed...just wondering if this is a spammer that needs to be blocked or not.

[JPG]

Oh I have no doubt he(?) is being watched.

[RFGuy]

Okay, I am resurrecting this thread because I think I found some useful information. On both this thread but others in the past, I have seen mention of a few Shopsmith owners who have had trouble with GFCI's tripping when the PowerPro is plugged into it. I found two relevant sections on Teknatool's website related to this that I thought I would post here so that it might help PowerPro owners. As a reminder, the PowerPro uses a switched reluctance motor (DVR) that was invented by a company called StriaTech. They sell their motors to the woodworking community through Teknatool (Nova is a brand underneath Teknatool). So, why am I posting Teknatool info here on a Shopsmith site? The internals are going to be very similar between a Teknatool DVR and Shopsmith PowerPro, not identical, but very similar, so I believe this info could be of value to Shopsmith PowerPro owners. The two excerpts are a bit at odds, but likely the result of differing technical support for different customers on different occasions. In the first excerpt Teknatool reminds the customer that GFCI's are designed for wet environments and that IF your DVR motor trips the breaker then simply try using a non-GFCI receptacle. This is exactly what I said previously on this forum, i.e. unless your shop has standing water in it, you should be safe to run the PowerPro on a non-GFCI receptacle and continue happy woodworking. Of course, this may be against local electrical code in your region, but it is the common sense solution. The second excerpt is interesting in that they recommend a particular rating of GFCI. In this case, one with a leak current threshold rating of 30mA. It is my understanding that most all receptacle based GFCI's now must adhere to a standard in the 4-6mA threshold range (tighter limit) so this could be problematic. Unless you can find a 30mA rated GFCI receptacle, I think the only solution for a PowerPro owner with GFCI issues is to switch to a GFCI breaker because I do see 30mA threshold rated GFCI breakers on the marketplace. Not sure how these are allowed anymore, but....anyway, I hope this new information helps some of the PowerPro owners out there.

viewtopic.php?p=293880#p293880

Excerpt #1 from Teknatool on GFCI use:
GFI receptacles are designed to be used in wet environments. They work by detecting small differences of current between the hot & neutral which could possibly be a short circuit. The GFI can trip faster than a circuit breaker preventing a hazardous electrical shock. Due to the complexity & demand our DVR motors can have on power, the GFI's detect a difference and trip.Rest assured that our equipment is fully tested and safe. Make sure the power cord has not been damaged, the ground prong is intact and the receptacle is properly wired with a minimum rating of 15 amps. Receptacles can be changed provided that they meet the safety requirements imposed by the environment you use them in.

If your DVR motor trips the breaker in the GFI or breaker itself, try using non-GFI receptacle.

We do not sell outlets. Contact your local electrician or hardware store for more information

Excerpt #2 from Teknatool on GFCI use:
Due to the performance characteristics of the DVR motor, when using a typical power source with GFI/ GFCI may prevent the motor from running correctly. DVR motors can rapidly increase the amount of current that it is drawing during operation which may trigger the GFI/ GFCI to shut down the power supply, preventing the motor from operating correctly.

The important factor to look for when checking if the GFI/ GFCI installed in your power supply is compatible with the DVR motors is its leak current threshold rating. For the GFI/ GFCI to be fully compatible without the risk of unnecessary triggering, it must have a leak current threshold rating of 30mA (0.003A).

Side Note:
Repeated triggering of the GFI/ GFCI on the DVR motor will not cause harm to the internal electronics.

DVR motor controllers do include a surge protection on board therefore if you do not have a power source installed with a GFI/ GFCI, a unprotected power sources are still perfectly fine to use with the DVR motor.

If the GFI/ GFCI installed on the outlet does not have enough have a high enough leak current threshold, the DVR
motors should be plugged into an unprotected outlet as the DVR motor controller circuit is integrated with a surge
protector.

[nuhobby]

Thank you; I still need to formulate a comprehensive GFI upgrade in my "mansion". This info helps!

- Chris