# Air conditioner GFCI broken



## fdmillion (Jan 27, 2010)

I have a window mounted standalone air conditioner that runs off standard 110 current. The unit has a GFCI permanently wired to the plug itself. Basically, it looks like a wall-wart, but it has the test and reset buttons on it. It was used in its original location for the entirety of last summer and the first part of this summer.

I was moving the unit to another window, and while I was carrying it, the plug slipped out of my grip and fell to the hard floor. It received a pretty good smack, but it didn't seem that bad.

I thought nothing of it and installed the unit in the new window, plugged it in, and powered it up. Everything worked fine.

A few hours later, I was moving some stuff around on the floor and I accidentally tapped the plug (containing the GFCI). As soon as I did that, the GFCI tripped. We're talking a very light tap - not much more than a cat putting its nose on it would cause. 

Assuming I probably brushed the test button accidentally, I reset the GFCI and the unit continued functioning, but about one minute later the GFCI tripped on its own.

I then tried to reset the GFCI again, but it would not stay on. As soon as I press Reset, the GFCI trips again. If I unplug the GFCI and reset the trip, and then plug it in, it trips immediately.

I left the unit unplugged for a day or so, and in the meantime tested the outlet for proper grounding. All the wiring is good. Another GFCI-equipped device ran without incident. An outlet tester showed proper grounding. Nothing else is going wrong.

The next day I plugged in the air conditioner again and the GFCI did NOT reset. I switched it on and it ran just fine for a while, and then again, the GFCI tripped. It once again refused to stay un-tripped. 

Just to be absolutely sure, I waited another day and moved the air conditioner to another room (and thus another circuit) - this one protected by a GFCI back at the breaker panel. Again, the same behavior - it would run for a few minutes, then trip again and be un-resettable.

I've decided that the GFCI must have suffered some damage when it fell out of my hand and hit the floor. But since the air conditioner still works perfectly as long as the GFCI isn't tripping, and since the electrical service is fine, I'm wondering if it's possible for me to rewire a new GFCI onto the cord so as to not have to scrap a $250 unit. 

It's worth noting that I did NOT drop the entire unit. When the unit is running, it sounds normal, cools normally, and has no signs of any damage. And it's also worth noting that the plug started misbehaving after 1) it was dropped and 2) it was gently touched while the device was in operation. 

What's the best course of action to take for this? I'm sure I just have a failed GFCI, but I am not sure if it's possible to rewire a new GFCI into the cord?

I could always wire on a standard non-GFCI plug and then add one of those short 1-foot "Extension cords" that has a GFCI on it, but is this an acceptable solution either?

F


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Just change the outlet to a GFI and add a new 110 volt plug to the cord before the old GFI.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

Perhaps the A/C unit itself is faulty,
Perhaps it has a small borderline leakage to ground,
Not unusual, especially in older units.

Have the unit megger tested ?

This will reveal any leakage.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

I believe that is an lcdi not a gfci. You might need a new cord.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

What is an " Icdi" ?


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## Stubbie (Jan 7, 2007)

LCDI - Leakage Current Detection Interrupter ... 

http://www.appliancemagazine.com/new_products.php?article=6569&


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Jim Port said:


> I believe that is an lcdi not a gfci. You might need a new cord.


I was trying to google the proper name of that device.  Thanks!


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

Replace it with a regular plug, and plug it into this if you're exceptionally safety-conscious:
http://www.amazon.com/Safety-Extens...UTF8&qid=1406224148&sr=8-1&keywords=lcdi+cord


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

Stubbie said:


> LCDI - Leakage Current Detection Interrupter ...
> 
> http://www.appliancemagazine.com/new_products.php?article=6569&


 
I think this might be what was know as the original "earth leakage breaker" ?

In the early days they worked by actually monitoring the actual
current flowing in the earth wire, once it exceeded a theshold it tripped out.
This was know as a earth leakage breaker.

Now they are in fact a "CORE BALANCE RELAY"
which works on a slightly different principle,
Of monitoing the currents in the hot line and the neutral line
If all is good they should be identical if not it tripps out.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

But the question still remains 
Is it tripping because its faulty 
Or is there actually an eath leakage in the A/C unit 

You will have to replace it to find out !


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