# Ambulance Connection



## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

Noe said:


> Can I get some input on this one?
> I have an ambulances parking at a hospital. Have power set up on 120/20A cords for A/C and generator battery charging on vehicle. Connecting to flanged inlet on ambulance. I installed GFCI CB's. I now have tripping CB's--checked circuits and all is good.
> These units travel between two hospitals and customer does not want to touch ambulance since it works fine at other facility (no GFCI protection).
> Customer wants me to do away with GFCI protection to fix the problem.
> Am I missing something here? Is there exception anywhere in NEC that excludes GFCI protection on ambulance?


does the battry chargr count as a piece of stationary equipment not needing gfci?
after all it's low voltage on the vehicle side, 
it is just a transformer with a rectifier, why would that cause the gfci to fault?
Rick


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## lectricboy (Mar 11, 2009)

Noe said:


> Can I get some input on this one?
> I have an ambulances parking at a hospital. Have power set up on 120/20A cords for A/C and generator battery charging on vehicle. Connecting to flanged inlet on ambulance. I installed GFCI CB's. I now have tripping CB's--checked circuits and all is good.
> These units travel between two hospitals and customer does not want to touch ambulance since it works fine at other facility (no GFCI protection).
> Customer wants me to do away with GFCI protection to fix the problem.
> Am I missing something here? Is there exception anywhere in NEC that excludes GFCI protection on ambulance?


How far is to the source? You may be experiencing nuisance tripping due to distance. If it is very far, you might try putting a GFCI Recp. next to and ahead if your inlet, and feed with standard breakers.
If this is outside, I wouldn't risk completely doing away with my GFCI protection.


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## Noe (Apr 7, 2009)

A/C circuit is one tripping.
Total Distance about 125'. 100' bulding wiring and about 25' cord to ambulance. Wire is sized up to #10 THHN.
Ambulance is parked outside with no cover/carport at this location. Cover unknown at other location...maybe that is why there is no GFCI on it????


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Megger the cordset or reelie. If they check out fine, the compliant way to approach this would be to ask them to fix their damn ambulances.


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## Noe (Apr 7, 2009)

Cord set and building wire has been megged - good.
Problem getting customer to believe their is problem with the ambulance because "they work, and have worked just fine up at their location" which is the location of their main hospital and where all the bosses are. Again, no GFCI at their location.
I have "asked" them to put the ambulance on GFCI circuit up there to find out what happens.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Has anyone said to them, very plainly, that if the GFCI is tripping that this is an indication of a wiring fault in the ambulance? I have a hard time believing that if the owners of the ambulance were educated about what a GFCI does and does not do that they would still want the GFCI removed. Could be patient safety on the line. Actually, more likely ambulance personnel safety on the line.


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## pjg (Nov 11, 2008)

I just had the same problem on a local fire dept.'s new ambulance. The neutral was bonded inadvertantly in the installation of the auto ejection plug. the ambulance manufacturer ok'd the repairs so the warranty was still valid. Like Mark said --fix the ambulance. Noe, check for ground /neutral continuity.


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## Noe (Apr 7, 2009)

That was my thought but we could only put an ohm-meter to it...read low resistance.
Customer did not want us to meg the ambulance connections.
As for explaining to the customer-tried it, they were insisting that I remove the GFCI and install on reg CB. I have refused to so far with NEC backing.
I was just wondering if there is some obscure code or exception that I missed.


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