Which GFCI breaker to use?

[mikes112]

I'm installing a Hayward Variable speed pump and boster pump for the cleaner and a heater. I will need a 230v 20 amp dual breaker. Siemens is the one that fits my old breaker box, but there are two versions

US2:QF220A

Siemens 20 Amp Double Pole Type QPF2 GFCI Circuit Breaker US2:QF220AP - The Home Depot

Prevent a ground fault in construction applications like spas, hot tubs, kitchens or bathrooms with this Siemens Double Pole Type QPF GFCI Circuit Breaker.

www.homedepot.com

which is for personal protection and trips at 5ma.
and

US2:QE220A

Siemens 20 Amp Double-Pole Type QE Ground Fault Equipment Protection Circuit Breaker QE220 - The Home Depot

Siemens Amp Double-Pole Type QE Ground Fault Equipment Protection Circuit Breaker is used to protect equipment from damaging line-to-ground faults.

www.homedepot.com

Which is to protect equipment and trips at 30ma, well this is for my pool motor and heater.

I'm not looking to save money but to be on the safe side and order the correct breaker.
I called Siemens in Tennesse and they didn't even know which one.
Is the 5ma tripping to protect swimmers more important?

 

[ajw22]

Use the QF220A that trips at 10ma or the Pentair CB, which is a rebranded Siemans CB, that has 6ma trip.

Amazon.com: Pentair PA220GF 2-Pole GFCI Circuit Breakers, 20-Ampere : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com: Pentair PA220GF 2-Pole GFCI Circuit Breakers, 20-Ampere : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

[JamesW]

which is for personal protection and trips at 10ma.

Personnel protection gfci breakers trip at 4 to 6 milliamps, not 10 milliamps.

The breaker referenced trips at 4 to 6 milliamps.

 

[Bama Rambler]

GFCI by it's nature is personnel protection. Even the 30ma trip units are personnel protection units, they're just designed to tolerate some minor apparent leakage produced by some electronic instrumentation.

Having said that, if the pump will operate and not nuisance trip the 5ma unit, that's the one you should use.

 

[JamesW]

The gfci breakers called "personnel protection" are the ones required by code.

"Personnel" protection breakers should not trip at less than 4 milliamps and should trip at 6 milliamps or higher.

 

[mikes112]

Siemens finally called me back and said the QE220A is reccomended because its a motor that is being controlled. I will do a test myself and drop a line in the water when i get everything wired and see what happens.

 

[JamesW]

Class A GFCIs, which are the type required in and around swimming pools, trip when the current to ground is 6 mA or higher and do not trip when the current to ground is less than 4 mA.

GFCIs and Swimming Pools – A Natural Fit - IAEI Magazine

Most of us have seen or read something about the figure commonly known as thefire triangle(oxygen, heat, and fuel), which is a working model to illustrate and to help one...

iaeimagazine.org

 

[bdavis466]

.....I will do a test myself and drop a line in the water when i get everything wired and see what happens

That's not a great idea...

 

[JamesW]

Just push the Test button on the breaker to test it. Don't go dropping live wires in the pool.

 

[jimmythegreek]

The 30ma units are geared more toward commercial motors and effluent pumps. As motors get older they often nuicense trip gfci breakers

 

[mikes112]

Thanks for all your help. Ok. I will see if I can get away with the one that trips at 5ma without the motor giving too many spurious currents.
Thank you

 

[imagineero]

The reason why there are various options available for the trip current is that different devices have different amounts of leakage. Those GFCI which trip above 30ma are not for human protection but generally for equipment or fire protection. 30ma is considered to be a baseline threshold for electrical fatality.

So let’s look at those which are sub 30ma. For a line which is shared by different devices you can guesstimate the total leakage to some extent based on known approximations. These are called intentional leakage. Unintentional leakage is a fault needing repair - typically failing insulation and things like water heating elements etc. intentional leakage is a design of devices, typically things with power supplies in them like computers and TVs. The power supplies are self adjusting in output but are connected to earth as a reference via high impedance connection. The leakage is small, but it’s there. It’s also cumulative - a computer centre is a massive earth leak.

Installers typically will measure the leakage of the whole home, and then the baseline leakage of individual circuits. The known intentional leakage devices can be spread out across different circuits to keep their total leakage below the 30ma threshold. It can be worth knowing that GFCIs also protect unearthed circuits in countries that don’t use earthing. The GFCI doesn’t actually detect earth leakage, but differential current. In an unearthed single phase installation, the measurement is the difference in current between live and neutral lines. The benefit of this design is that a GFCI will protect against electrical shock where current is lost to any path, not just to earth.

For a dedicated circuit containing a single load, there’s less need to consider such things. If the physical limitation of the breaker box is an issue, bare in mind you can also get GFCIs built into the outlet in a wide range of specifications. This is a great help when adding a single circuit to an older existing home and possibly avoid the need to upgrade the breaker box.