GFI or GCFI trouble

[Leelan]

I have a GFI outlet in my garage which trips during bad thunderstorms. I live on the gulf coast, so this is at least once every other week. I know it's not supposed to be plugged in here, but I have a frig in the GFI (doesn't really matter b/c when the GFI trips it knocks out the whole garage). Anyhow, until 3-4 weeks ago, it would reset easily if tripped. But now (the last 2-3 times), it resets for only a split second, then trips again. Here's the weird part.......if I leave it alone overnight, it resets with no trouble the next morning. Any ides???

Thanks,

Leelan

 

[locknut]

Leelan: I can't be fully definitive on your problem, but I had a similar one. A garden waterpump would not work on the outlet served through a GFCI, but worked normally from a nonGCFI outlet. I checked the pump motor and I found that there was enough leakage current via its ground wire to trip the GFCI.

 

[Blue Jay]

I have had tripping issues from lightning strikes that were not very close, the wire past the GFCI acts as an antenna and causes the circuit to trip even one that had wire buried outside 18" down and was on a GFCI breaker, had to use a standard breaker and use a GCFI outlet at the end. In this case I would use a GCFI outlet at each location feeding on from the line side NOT the load side to the next outlet and use a standard outlet for the fridge.
On the resetting issue sounds like the outlet has used up it's life and needs to be replaced.
Good Luck
Blue Jay