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Posted by Bubba on October 20, 2007, 2:57 pm
wrote:
>wrote:
>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>> In brief, is it OK for a gas furnace to run off a GFI circuit?
>>>>>
>>>>> We have a gas furnace that's about 20 years old in the basement. (It
>>>>> also has a more recent central A/C unit coil on it.) The furnace is
>>>>> on a 15 amp circuit. The cable to the furnace runs through a junction
>>>>> box that has a duplex outlet. (The only things on this circuit are
>>>>> the furnace and this outlet.) While it is grandfathered under the
>>>>> local electrical code, code now calls for a GFI outlet (or circuit)
>>>>> and we are installing one.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is it OK to run the furnace _through_ the GFI outlet or should we
>>>>> bypass it? I know that some things don't play well with GFI circuits,
>>>>> such as some fluorescent lamps. What about gas furnaces? Thanks. -
>>>>> Jesse
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Can you not wire it 'before' the GFCI outlet?
>>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks for the reply. Yes, we can "wire it before", as you say.
>>>However, since the furnace is all metal and sitting on a concrete
>>>floor, we thought that running the furnace _through_ the GFIC would
>>>provide some safety factor in case an internal short happens in the
>>>furnace. In other words, if there would be no problem having the
>>>furnace run on the GFIC, we would prefer to do it that way. Thanks. -
>>>Jesse
>>
>>I think you're doing it the right way.
>>Wire it to a GFI.
>>Hell, for that matter, wire it through a Arc Fault breaker too.
>>That should make you doubley safe.
>>Maybe a surge protector too.
>>Use sheilded cable low voltage wiring also with a current balanced
>>thermostat.
>>Oh........the mind wobbles.
>>Bubba
>
>Bubba --
>
>In light of your suggested safety steps, do you think maybe we should
>go even further and skip electricity entirely, switching to a pile of
>wood and lighter fluid, and for ignition maybe a road flare will do
>the trick? We figure a sledge should be able to open a big enough
>hole in the brick wall to get rid of those pesky noxious combustion
>gases, or shouldn't we worry about those - too wobbly?
>
>It is not a surprise that some of you experts think that there is no
>need for this, and maybe there isn't. The question was whether there
>would be a problem with the mid-1980s circuits of a furnace
>conflicting with on a gfi circuit. Thanks. - Jesse
>
Ok, if you really need it spelled out grade school style for
you.....here goes.
As a hvac expert, I wouldnt dare mess with a GFI on a furnace. Its
just totally unnecessary. No electrical code Im aware of specifies
something like what you want to do. Those damn things trip easily
enough, sometimes without even a problem to trace. As with most
heating and AC problems.....A/C's dont break down when its 70 degrees
out and neither do furnaces. Take a guess when that GFI furnace will
quit?
Yep, you guessed it. On a Sat night while you are out of town for the
week and its 5 degrees outside. Guess what kind of igloo you will come
home too?
Would there be a conflict? Most likely not but many new furnaces with
all their electrical circuitry can be very finiky......especially when
it comes to grounding and reversed polarity.
Be a pioneer and go ahead and do it. What have you got to lose?
We probably wouldnt have modern day flight if it werent for pioneers
like the Wright brothers. Maybe we wouldnt even have electricity
unless Ben Franklin werent ballzy enough to go fly a kite in an
electrical storm. (Ok, I think he was just retarded to pull a stunt
like that).
There, does that answer make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside or did
you really just piss your pants? :-)
Bubba
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