GFCI malfunctions when ground connection interacts with power supply unit
GFCI malfunctions when ground connection interacts with power supply unit
As soon as I begin connecting, the ground makes contact first. And at that moment, the GFCI trips (20-amp breaker). I also observed a problem with my nephew’s new PC, which is a brand-new build. His bedroom uses only a 15-amp breaker and we haven’t even installed any windows yet. Do you have any suggestions? I took it to Microcenter because it was really worrying me. They didn’t encounter any problems. When plugged into a standard outlet, nothing trips (normal 20-amp breaker). It powers on, but I suspect it will trip again when brought into his older home. Would this suggest a faulty power supply unit? My house is less than 15 years old with good wiring. No issues before this PC. I use the same plug for my own machine. When I connected my nephew’s PC, mine stayed off, so there wasn’t an extremely heavy load on the GFCI. Thank you. I’m really worried because it’s a two-hour drive to Microcenter, and I’ve already done this twice. Once to purchase all components with him (he really wanted to buy them online instead) and another time to finish assembling, fearing I might damage something.
The build...
TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WIFI II
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-3200
MODERN CPU, RAM bundle purchase.
Corsair iCUE H100i RGB ELITE 59.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card
Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case
MAG A750GL PCIE5 PSU
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Drew
It's important to confirm whether there is one GFCI outlet or two at different locations. If it's just one, it might be a defective outlet that doesn't last long.
One GFCI in my home causes trips. I’m curious if it’s the same issue. My nephew uses a standard outlet in his bedroom, but the breaker is only 15-amps and also trips. I haven’t checked since microcenter finished the installation. I’m worried they might have misdiagnosed something, but maybe it’s just my GFCI. It seems strange that my PC doesn’t trip when plugged in, but when I connect his PC—by touching its ground to the GFCI—it does. Both PCs have 750W PSUs. If one trips, the other should too.
I also added another question: I’m trying to install Windows 11 now, but it says it’s not compatible. I’m really confused about this PC. I made a USB boot disk just like I did with my PC in January 2023. It seems they sold me these parts expecting we were building a Windows 11 build, and they’re all new. I’ve built six systems over the past 20 years without any problems. This has been all trouble. I might have to call them today.
Find a guide on installing Win 11:
How To - Windows 11 clean install tutorial
This guide aims to assist you in performing a clean installation of Windows 11, version 23H2 or later. It can also be used for earlier versions with minor visual differences but overall similar interfaces.
And the system functions properly on non-GFCI outlets in your house? Do you own a Kil-O-Watt device?
https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electric...9MDBU?th=1
I’ve noticed comparable issues that necessitated a new breaker and outlet. What bothers me here is that this occurred at two spots, involving two distinct (type) outlets.
This strongly suggests a PSU problem.