ceramic heaters blow gfi breaker.

Papaz8

Advanced Member
RV LIFE Pro
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Jan 2, 2024
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55
Location
Gretna, NE. (for now)
Hi all-
Hanging outside Omaha for the winter. Temps starting to get sporty (it'll be 13 when we wake up at 6 am). We have 2 small ceramic space heaters, one for each bedroom. Both are 1500 w. When both are running at 68-70 on ECO mode, the GFI breaker pops. I don't know what else is drawing power on that breaker's circuit. Plugged into 50 amp shore. Are we overdoing with that heater wattage? Seems weird. Furnace is fine, just use the two heaters to knock the chill off before going to bed. The 2nd bedroom is always colder than the main. Only one furnace vent, small round one like bath vent. I think it's a design flaw. But it is a new floor plan by GD.
So, thoughts on breaker?

Cheers,
PapaZ
 
Just double checking,
-its the breaker in the panel popping not the GFCI button on the outlet, correct?
-1 breaker involved for both rooms?
-15A breaker?

If answers are all yes, then the breaker circuit is being overloaded. The 1500w heaters are running (even in ECO mode) they are likely over 10A each.

BTW, furnace is a 12v/propane appliance and it will run non-stop if needed while on 50A power, until it runs out of propane (ie, it uses very little of the 50A to keep the 12v battery charged).

Not related your question, but just double checking you are running the furnace when its below freezing to protect pipes (assuming you are not operating with plumbing winterized).
 
Last edited:
Hi all-
Hanging outside Omaha for the winter. Temps starting to get sporty (it'll be 13 when we wake up at 6 am). We have 2 small ceramic space heaters, one for each bedroom. Both are 1500 w. When both are running at 68-70 on ECO mode, the GFI breaker pops. I don't know what else is drawing power on that breaker's circuit. Plugged into 50 amp shore. Are we overdoing with that heater wattage? Seems weird. Furnace is fine, just use the two heaters to knock the chill off before going to bed. The 2nd bedroom is always colder than the main. Only one furnace vent, small round one like bath vent. I think it's a design flaw. But it is a new floor plan by GD.
So, thoughts on breaker?

Cheers,
PapaZ
Sounds like you need two different circuits rather than plugging both heaters into one. You may have to find a second circuit to use for the other heater.
 
3,000w of heaters on a single 120v circuit is 25 amp which is probably more than what the breaker is for.
Another thing to consider is the power coming from the box. If it has a bad leg and only supplying say 100v, it is now drawing 30amp!
 
3,000w of heaters on a single 120v circuit is 25 amp which is probably more than what the breaker is for.
Another thing to consider is the power coming from the box. If it has a bad leg and only supplying say 100v, it is now drawing 30amp!
Resistive loads don’t work that way. If it was drawing 25A at 120V, it would only draw about 21A at 100V. Only a very few items draw more current as voltage drops. AC motors are the only common one.
 
Good info so far.
If OP's camper is like my 5ver, it might be almost if not divided in half. As mine seems to be one side of the panel on one side of the camper other side feeds other side. 50 amp.
I use everything electric when plugged in to power, so i have one electric heater on one side and the other plugged into the other side.
 
Resistive loads don’t work that way. If it was drawing 25A at 120V, it would only draw about 21A at 100V. Only a very few items draw more current as voltage drops. AC motors are the only common one.
I thought ceramic heaters have electric motors.
But I get what your saying if they used oil filled heaters, but they didn't say that. Maybe there's has a built in fan, maybe they don't. 🤔
 
My understanding is, considering any of the small portable heaters with a fan: the fan uses maybe 100 watts, the heating element (resistive load) is the big energy draw.
 
I have 4 electric heaters. The small cube ceramic heater, with low/high/fan only.
An oil filled one only radiator looking thing, and 2 tower fan ones.
I would have to dig out the ceramic, as dont know the draw, never cared. Not made to be efficient though i can tell.
The new tower sits at 15 amps, the older tower sits at 14 amps and the radiator, no fan sits at 14 amps on full.
 
I thought ceramic heaters have electric motors.
But I get what your saying if they used oil filled heaters, but they didn't say that. Maybe there's has a built in fan, maybe they don't. 🤔
The fan is such a trivial part of the load you probably couldn’t measure the change in current.
 
Hi all-
Hanging outside Omaha for the winter. Temps starting to get sporty (it'll be 13 when we wake up at 6 am). We have 2 small ceramic space heaters, one for each bedroom. Both are 1500 w. When both are running at 68-70 on ECO mode, the GFI breaker pops. I don't know what else is drawing power on that breaker's circuit. Plugged into 50 amp shore. Are we overdoing with that heater wattage? Seems weird. Furnace is fine, just use the two heaters to knock the chill off before going to bed. The 2nd bedroom is always colder than the main. Only one furnace vent, small round one like bath vent. I think it's a design flaw. But it is a new floor plan by GD.
So, thoughts on breaker?

Cheers,
PapaZ
I solved this problem on my 2800 by getting power from a different circuit. I tapped into the power supplied to the minifridge. The fridge uses very little power. With only one heater on the GFI circuit and one on the minifridge circuit no breakers blown.
 

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