Heating element tripping GFI outlet

[PhillyBurbs]

My smoker is about 5 years old. I use it a few times a year. I tried to smoke some Turkey legs for Christmas. The smoker heated up a little, then stopped. I figured out it tripped the gfi outlet. I’ve tried a few things, including drying it out in my heater room. Still trips. I looked at the element and the only damage is close to the pins. My questions- will this damage cause the outlet to trip? Second, can I repair it with high heat gasket or fireplace gasket?


UPDATE — Thanks for all the input. I tried it on a GFI outlet inside. Immediately tripped. Tried it on a regular outlet. No problem. I expected the breaker to trip, but that didn’t happen. Unfortunately, all my outside outlets are GFI’s.

 

[chopsaw]

If the resistance in the element is low . That will cause the gfci to trip . If you have an ohm meter check it . I think a 1500 watt element should be around 9 ohms . I'm not sure what the math is . Wattage divided by line voltage ?

 

[JIMSMOKES]

I have had exterior gfi go bad a couple times. Make sure you replace it with the same amp that's there. I put a 15 where a 20 had been. Which caused me all kinds of trouble shooting time.

 

[Cajun Smokes]

I have had two separate tripping issues. One was drippings built up on the element and the other was an element gone bad. I'm sure others will chime in to give you a more detailed troubleshooting

 

[Fueling Around]

Same thing happens with my Big Chief electric.
Element heats up and the resistance drops to trip the overload, not the GFCI side of the circuit breaker. There is no repair of a damaged element.

 

[Nefarious]

If the resistance in the element is low . That will cause the gfci to trip . If you have an ohm meter check it . I think a 1500 watt element should be around 9 ohms . I'm not sure what the math is . Wattage divided by line voltage ?

P=I^2*R and V=I*R so P=I*V or P=V^2*R

 

[efigeniof]

The damage near the pins could definitely cause the GFI to trip, as any moisture or corrosion there might create a short circuit. Using high heat or fireplace gasket might be a temporary fix, but it's not a long-term solution. If the element is damaged, it's better to replace it for safety reasons.In case you're still hunting for a solution, I have a suggestion. I think you should try using MCBs. They might handle the load better than a GFI. I've had similar issues with my outdoor equipment, and switching to MCBs made a big difference. They're less sensitive to minor surges and can provide more consistent performance.

 

[geostriata]

I have had exterior gfi go bad a couple times. Make sure you replace it with the same amp that's there. I put a 15 where a 20 had been. Which caused me all kinds of trouble shooting time.

I've also had defective GFIs, so I think it's a possibility here. I'd use an extension cord to try to plug the smoker into another GFI circuit to see if it trips that. If it trips, most likely it's the smoker. If not, then it's the GFI itself which would need to be replaced.

 

[mr_whipple]

Yes. Corroded connections change the resistance which in turn causes a change in the amount of current, causing the trip. GFIs monitor the current between the hot and neutral. That and some GFIs can be a bit touchy as they age. Better safe than sorry.

 

[mike243]

The easiest way to explain the gfi is that it detects voltage going to ground, most fridges can't operate on 1. most things never have a problem but in rare cases folks have gotten shocked.

 

[Fueling Around]

Yes, straight GFCI only trip when the voltage (actually current) differential between the hot and neutral isn't zero meaning it is leaking to ground somewhere.

Arc fault breakers are the nasty things that will detect a resistance change due to corroded contacts. The fridge in our FL home tripped the friggin breaker about a month ago. Simply unplugging the fridge and plugging it back in fixed the problem. If I owned the place, I would have fixed it by walking across the street to Lowes and getting a standard breaker.