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Re: NST and GFI ?

Not quite.. I think an earlier post from Reinhard laid this out pretty
well..  The arcs and corona coming off the secondary are not "referenced"
to the primary circuit, but to the RF ground (which might be the third
prong).  The current in the primary of the NST will be properly balanced
and the GFI won't trip.



----------
> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: NST and GFI ?
> Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 11:48 PM
> 
> Original Poster: spam_proof-at-worldnet.att-dot-net 
> 
> 
> That stands to reason.  In the US, GFI/GFCI's are set to trip if the
> difference between the current coming from the hot and going back into
the
> neutral is more than 5 milliamperes.  If you're using (like me) a ground
> such as a drain pipe, that is current which is coming from the hot, but
> not returning on the neutral.  Two good ways to get around this:
> 
> 1.  Don't use a Tesla coil on a GFI outlet.  Ground fault circuit
breakers
> have a higher tolerance (can't remember the exact current off the top of
> my head) and will be able to take a bigger Tesla coil.
> 
> 2.  Although I don't recommend it, you can use the neutral (prong on the
> left) as a ground and make sure all of your sparks hit the neutral on the
> Tesla coil side of the outlet (e.g. using a neutral from another outlet
> or "upstream" from the outlet won't do).  Keep in mind that St. Elmo's
> fire is current going to ground, so just because you don't see sparks
> doesn't mean you aren't leaking current.  I would recommend against this
> because, inter alia, a substaintial number of outlets are reverse-wired.
> If you do this and you are reverse wired, you'll have 120v exposed metal
> you might not be aware of...touch your Tesla coil chassis while you are
> leaning against a radiator or some other grounded object and you're
toast.
> There are other problems associated with using the neutral as a ground,
> but I won't bother going into them.
> 
> 
> On Mon, 14 Feb 2000, Tesla List wrote:
> 
> > Original Poster: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com 
> > 
> > In a message dated 2/13/00 5:56:59 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
> > writes:
> > 
> > << Original Poster: CTCDW-at-aol-dot-com 
> >  
> >  GFI protection is generally NOT considered a good thing for coils..I
have 
> >  actually been able to run my coil (15/60) from a GFI outlet, but I
think 
> > that 
> >  is the exception, rather than the rule.
> >  
> >  chris
> >   >>
> > Chirs,
> > 
> > That's good.  Heck, I have an old refrigerator out in the garage that
won't 
> > even run off of a GFI outlet.  Too much leakage current I guess.
> > 
> > Ed Sonderman
> > 
> > 
> 
>