Thanks again all,
I finally found some time to do some more tests.

I retested the element as per"allon"

Unplug machine.
Disconnect heating element wires.
Measure resistance between each heating element terminal and a nice copper bit of boiler or fitting on boiler.

If you get anything less than infinite, you've got a problem with the element.

Measure resistance between element terminals. Apply ohms law to calculate what you expect the wattage to be. Make sure it jibes]

This is what i did yesterday as per OE's tech tips. only this time I also tested against the copper on the boiler and got Infinite. Also checked from ground to all the hots and they all came out infinite.
Measurement between the element terminals wavered between 12.3/12.4 and applied ohms law with online calculator and came up with 975 watts, just as another_ jim came up with.

Tried another GFCI circuit in the upstairs bathroom. GFCI tripped.

As far as I can tell,this element tests GOOD. Does it have a pinhole leak that my meter can't pickup? as Randy G. says, Maybe? I can't find any ground to hot issues. So I thinks it's time to go back to The bad old days.

keepitsimple wrote:Quite often, elements that have not been used for some time can absorb moisture - just enough to cause problems. In the (bad ?) old days, the solution was to plug it into a non-protected outlet and let it heat up. The heating will normally expel the moisture and fix it. I'm NOT recommending you do that, but it is often the case that if you can get the element heated up in some way, it will cure the problem

What the hell,either this element works or it doesn't. Before I do this does anyone have any other ideas
I can try??????

Thanks for the input.

Before I do this does anyone have any other ideas I can try??????

Sure - do exactly what Randy G. suggested and simply disconnect the heating element and plug her in. Do you trip the GFCI now?

Post a pic of the incoming power wires (inside the machine). Do they go to a terminal block? Going out on an electrical limb here - if the incoming "hot" is connected to the machine's neutral wiring (typically blue) and the incoming "neutral" is connected to the machine hot wiring (typically brown), there MAY BE some component inside the machine that doesn't like this when plugged in to a GFCI outlet.

The reason that the element can trip the GFCI and still test good is that electricity from the wall can use water as a conductor, but an ohm meter has to be pretty freakin' sensitive to read that. So a pinhole in the outer casing of the element that allows water in give the high current of the line voltage a dandy place to go to ground, but the very low current and voltage of the ohm meter very well may not see it.

So no GFCI trip with element unplugged and tripped GFCI when element is powered?
I would be two coffee beans (if you pay postage) that the element is the problem.

One final test if you are brave and knowledgeable... Disconnect BOTH wires from the heating element. This test isolates the entire machine EXCEPT the heating element:
Disconnect machine from wall. Take an old electrical cord, strip the female end if it still has one, and connect the hot and neutral to the heating element connections (one to each) and BE SURE to connect the ground wire to the chassis. Plug the cord in but do NOT touch the machine (just in case your life insurance policy has lapsed). Odds are that the GFCI will trip.. Bad element.

I have a power cord with alligator clips on the end, useful for doing this sort of test.
Kind of dodgy, but a useful diagnostic tool.

Dodgy??? I had a questionable electrically-operated solenoid water inlet valve for a washing machine I thought was bad. I attached the valve to the end of my garden hose, hooked up a power cord to one of the valves connectors, turned on the hose bib, held the hose, and touched other lead to the valve's open connector to test for leakage past the valve. 120V and spraying water... now THAT'S dodgy! Made a pretty good squirt gun that would keep anyone from messing with you, though!

Some of the things you have not mentioned doing...visual inspection of the h.e. terminals, visual inspection on the element coils inside the boiler to start. When I get the gfi throw I go ahead and plan to remove the element from the boiler and do all the tests with it on the bench to avoid any phantom conclusions and kiln the h.e. then retest and rebuild it as a matter of course.
This problem is actually pretty common.

Remember a multy meter is only testing at a low voltage.

Unless your using a Electrical Safety tester, then a multi meter may well test the element as OK; but when power is applied the voltage and those little electrons will go where you do not what them and POP, your elcb will trip.

If your not fully aware of all the traps and using the correct equipment... Well meaning advice can kill you.

So get it checked by an electrician or other qualified person.

Personally, I'm too risk averse to try running it "live". I would try other ways of getting the thing heated up sufficiently. A barbecue comes to mind if there's no other option ;o)

If the GFI is blowing, there is a short to ground somewhere. either disconnect everything and reconnect stuff one at a time till it blows or disconnect things one at a time till it stops. Pull the leads from the boiler, insulate them, a couple feet of 3/8 or 1/2" tubing is good for that, and plug it in, if it's the heating element the GFI won't blow, if the GFI still blows, try more things. For fun, disconnect the hot coming in to the machine and see if the power cord by itself blows the GFI. You can find the problem with common sense and no tools.

Just make sure all the disconnected stuff is insulated and gets connected back where it came from.

Ira

ira wrote:For fun, disconnect the hot coming in to the machine and see if the power cord by itself blows the GFI. You can find the problem with common sense and no tools.

ira, I think you nailed it??? Last night I plugged it into a none GFCI circuit. The CB didn't trip,the wires didn't
glow red and melt down,and when I touched the machine, I didn't get electrocuted:D The on switch light lit up and the pilot light came on and boiler got hot. It works just fine. This morning while going thru my junk drawer I came across a two prong plug adapter. I put it on and turned the machine on, the GFCI didn't trip..I had tried disconnecting the ground from the boiler terminal the day before and that didn't work,but I had forgotten that the frame of the machine was still grounded so I disconnected it and plunged her in. The GFCI didn't trip...So now, I'm pretty sure it's the plug. When I get a chance I'll replace it and see what happens and
let you know.