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View Full Version : Help with a circular saw....


Steve Swail
06-14-2005, 4:10 AM
I try to use my PC circular saw in a ground default plug and and it keeps tripping it....Why? I see where the saw is rated at 15 amps. Will I be OK to plug it in to a regular outlet. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Steve
John Lannon
06-14-2005, 5:37 AM
I try to use my PC circular saw in a ground default plug and and it keeps tripping it....Why? I see where the saw is rated at 15 amps. Will I be OK to plug it in to a regular outlet. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Steve

Is it shorting or overloading the ground fault?
Bryan Nuss
06-14-2005, 6:25 AM
Steve, try some other tool rated at about 15 amps in the GFI. If it trips, then the fault probably lies in the receptacle or the receptacle circuit. I would not try thr circular saw until you have tried this.

If the other tool does not trip the GFI, the problem is most likely with the circular saw, so do not plug it into a standard receptacle until you check the saw out. You may have a small cut in the cord.
Larry Reimer
06-14-2005, 11:16 AM
Steve, a GFCI is designed to "trip" when it senses an imbalance in current flow between the current carrying wires (if memory serves they're designed to trip at 5 milliamps). The idea is that if there's a break in the insulation or some other failure the receptacle will stop the flow of electricity before it can harm a person.

120 volt GFCI's are rated at 15 amps or 20 amps. So, the receptacle should handle the electrical load from the saw. It may be "tripping" because there's a problem with the saw. Broken insulation? faulty switch? loose connection?

I have also had very poor luck with the quality and reliability of the GFCI's themselves. I've seen way too many of them fail and now it's to the point of that's the first thing I suspect. Bad GFCI. When I replace them I specify a "Hubbell" receptacle They're expensive but I haven't seen the failures with them that I've seen in all other brands.
Jeff Sudmeier
06-14-2005, 11:35 AM
Do you have another GFCI in the house you can try it with? If it trips the other GFCI the saw is probably the culprit. If it doesn't it is probably the GFCI.