Brew12
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My Tank Thread
I'm not sure why you think the 5mA is "swimming around the tank". Think of the tank as an extension of the electrical insulation of the hot wire. The hot wire has voltage well past the GFCI that hasn't made it to the neutral. By your theory, that should trip the GFCI.I beg to differ. While that 5mA is swimming around the tank or following some other path it's not returning on the neutral. As I said a GFCI monitors for an imbalance between the hot and the neutral it doesnt care were that current is, only that its not where it's supposed to be. I've only been an inside wireman for 12 years.
If a gfci device doesnt trip it is either wired incorrectly or it's a faulty piece of equipment.
Voltage, with no path for current flow, will not trip a GFCI. The tank can be energized with no current flow just like the conductor wire.
Not that it matters, but I worked as a submarine electrician for 10 years with the final 3 1/2 teaching electrical theory. I'm now on my 18th year as an electrical engineer. You can believe me or not, that is up to you. My feelings won't be hurt either way.