# Weather resistant GFCI



## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

Peter D said:


> I had a Leviton TR/WR GFCI go bad on me the other day. So I took it apart and sure enough the coil was melted down.
> 
> But, that's not what was interesting. It seems that all that makes it "WR" are stainless mounting screws and a stainless mounting strap. Otherwise, all the internal components looked exactly the same as a regular Leviton GFCI. Here I was thinking they might have encapsulated the circuit board or something like that, but no. I guess you don't get much for $3 more than a regular GFCI. :no:


 
The $3.00 extra probably pays for the UL rating to make it WR.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Seriously, if all that's different about it is a stainless mounting strap and screws, I don't see how that is going to prevent weather related failure down the road.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Peter D said:


> Seriously, if all that's different about it is a stainless mounting strap and screws, I don't see how that is going to prevent weather related failure down the road.


It wont, just makes it easy to change...lol


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Peter D said:


> Seriously, if all that's different about it is a stainless mounting strap and screws, I don't see how that is going to prevent weather related failure down the road.


Thank God for those stainless screws and they got that into the NEC.:no::blink::laughing:


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Peter D said:


> Seriously, if all that's different about it is a stainless mounting strap and screws, I don't see how that is going to prevent weather related failure down the road.


 
Who sits on the CMP???


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

When they fail then, we can charge more for them.:thumbsup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Chris1971 said:


> When they fail then, we can charge more for them.:thumbsup:


Yes at least double the price..:thumbup:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I remember looking into this some time back and not finding a really good answer:

Aside from the stainless hardware, the plastic is designed to be more UV and temperature resistant, and Leviton claims their circuit boards are "conformally coated." 

"UL 498 Supplement SE" covers the standards for listing a receptacle as weather-resistant. I looked through an excerpt I found and it appears the only thing they require is the corrosion resistance of the metal components, and the reinforcing of the plastic body. 

I didn't read anything about requiring the GFCI circuitry itself to be made more robust or weather resistant, which figures. 

-John


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Maybe the problem was Leviton.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Actually I use P&S and have had no issues but my friend just called yesterday saying he has had 2 or 3 GFCI recep. from P&S where only one side of the receptacle would trip.  Yes it was wired correctly.


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

Peter D said:


> I had a Leviton TR/WR GFCI go bad on me the other day. So I took it apart and sure enough the coil was melted down.
> 
> But, that's not what was interesting. It seems that all that makes it "WR" are stainless mounting screws and a stainless mounting strap. Otherwise, all the internal components looked exactly the same as a regular Leviton GFCI. Here I was thinking they might have encapsulated the circuit board or something like that, but no. I guess you don't get much for $3 more than a regular GFCI. :no:


 i have changed a few levitons over the last year now i use only p&s


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Big John said:


> I remember looking into this some time back and not finding a really good answer:
> 
> Aside from the stainless hardware, the plastic is designed to be more UV and temperature resistant, and Leviton claims their circuit boards are "conformally coated."
> 
> ...


I made particular attention to examine the circuit board, thinking it would be epoxy encased or something like that, and it wasn't. I don't know what "conformally coated" means but I'd like to find out.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Peter D said:


> I made particular attention to examine the circuit board, thinking it would be epoxy encased or something like that, and it wasn't. I don't know what "conformally coated" means but I'd like to find out.


Was there any clear sort of coating on it like this;










?


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> Was there any clear sort of coating on it like this;
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmmm you know, there might have been. It looked like there was _something_ coating the circuit board, but I wasn't certain. Whatever it was, it wasn't as thick as I was expecting it to be.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Peter D said:


> Hmmm you know, there might have been. It looked like there was _something_ coating the circuit board, but I wasn't certain. Whatever it was, it wasn't as thick as I was expecting it to be.


No matter how thick it is its pretty tough. And its a real pain to clean off the board if you need to do board level repair, obviously something I wouldn't bother with on a GFCI but I have on other stuff.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Peter D said:


> ...I don't know what "conformally coated" means but I'd like to find out.


 Reading here, it sounds like it would look a lot like the picture JLarson posted.

-John


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> No matter how thick it is its pretty tough. And its a real pain to clean off the board if you need to do board level repair, obviously something I wouldn't bother with on a GFCI but I have on other stuff.


Good to know. After the examination I immediately chucked the parts in the dumpster because I was so disgusted. This thing didn't even last a year. So I go and replace it with another Leviton one I had on my truck. :laughing:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Peter D said:


> Good to know. After the examination I immediately chucked the parts in the dumpster because I was so disgusted. This thing didn't even last a year. So I go and replace it with another Leviton one I had on my truck. :laughing:


 Yea but you dont know what they did with that gfci...For all you know they could have been running it at max load for an extended period of time...


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

captkirk said:


> Yea but you dont know what they did with that gfci...For all you know they could have been running it at max load for an extended period of time...



Well actually the homeowner said they plugged their pond LED lights into it and the GFCI starting making a loud humming sound, then it stopped working altogether. After that, their pond pump stopped working too. 

Basically, I don't know what happened but something caused the GFCI to die. I'm just not sure what. At any rate, it shouldn't have failed the way it did.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Peter D said:


> Well actually the homeowner said they plugged their pond LED lights into it and the GFCI starting making a loud humming sound, then it stopped working altogether. After that, their pond pump stopped working too.
> 
> Basically, I don't know what happened but something caused the GFCI to die. I'm just not sure what. At any rate, it shouldn't have failed the way it did.


yea thats true... Pond pumps dont pull that much.. You would think a 20 dollar gfci would go the distance...Hell I just recently replaced a cheap 7 dollar no name brand one from a 10 year old home... I would definaltly return it..


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Maybe a better look at a coated board.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

I feel better now. At least the board is coated. Paying extra for a stainless strap and screws is such a waste. :laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Peter D said:


> I feel better now. At least the board is coated. Paying extra for a stainless strap and screws is such a waste. :laughing:


All you have to do is find a way to stamp WR on the cheap ones..:thumbup::laughing:


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> All you have to do is find a way to stamp WR on the cheap ones..:thumbup::laughing:


Last EI I had didn't even check for the WR indentation. :no:


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## DCAC (Feb 11, 2011)

when ever I'm installing a GFCI outside I like to put the GFCI on the inside outlet, to reseting alot easier. It also makes the GFCI more code complient, since there labled not to be installed in damp locations. They end up lasting much longer also.


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