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GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?

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GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many? DA 02-02-2008
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Posted by DA on February 2, 2008, 2:09 pm
Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are
designed for?

I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for
charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave
the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the
chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging
again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI
outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if
this would be a good idea.

Thanks!

\//.
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Posted by Terry on February 2, 2008, 2:18 pm
On 02 Feb 2008 19:09:03 GMT, info_at_1-script_dot_com@foo.com (DA)
wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>
>Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are
>designed for?
>
>I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for
>charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave
>the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the
>chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging
>again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI
>outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if
>this would be a good idea.
>

They only cost about 10$ Let us know how long it lasts.


Posted by Mark on February 2, 2008, 6:53 pm
I'd read that cell phone chargers are generally not 'phantom load', that is
they don't consume any power when the phone is not connected. Not sure if
that is the case for all of them but one way to tell is if the transformer
is warm to touch even when the phone is not connected.


> Hi everyone,
>
> Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are
> designed for?
>
> I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for
> charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave
> the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the
> chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging
> again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI
> outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if
> this would be a good idea.
>
> Thanks!
>
> \//.
> -------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
> ##-----------------------------------------------##
> Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/
> Building Construction and Maintenance Forum
> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
> alt.home.repair - 271061 messages and counting!
> ##-----------------------------------------------##


Posted by Larry Weil on February 3, 2008, 1:12 pm

> I'd read that cell phone chargers are generally not 'phantom load', that is
> they don't consume any power when the phone is not connected. Not sure if
> that is the case for all of them but one way to tell is if the transformer
> is warm to touch even when the phone is not connected.

If you are really concerned there is a device you can buy known as the
Kill-A-Watt. It will measure how much power any plug-in device is
actually drawing, and also tell you the accumulated KWh over a period of
time.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

Posted by Twayne on February 2, 2008, 7:04 pm
> Hi everyone,
>
> Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets
> are designed for?
>
> I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is
> convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged
> in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test"
> button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset"
> and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads
> but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense,
> so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea.
>
> Thanks!
>
> \//.
> -------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
> ##-----------------------------------------------##
> Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/
> Building Construction and Maintenance Forum
> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
> alt.home.repair - 271061 messages and counting!
> ##-----------------------------------------------##

They all tell you on the boxes to NOT use them as a switch. Logically,
it will weaken them and they'll trip more easily until finally they trip
all the time for no reason.

--

Regards,

Twayne

OO0 is a GREAT MS Office replacement
www.openoffice.org

Please respond to the newsgroup, not to
my e-mail, so that all may benefit. I do not
always respond to newsgroup e-mails.




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