Weather it's car repairs, or home repairs, always check the simplest things first

[MileHighDart]

I have a Modine gas fired unit heater in my garage. Stopped functioning a few weeks ago, so I start replacing parts (things that have gone wrong with it in the past), and nothing is fixed.
Finally figured out that there was no 120V getting to the unit.
The heater is on a dedicated circuit in the garage, except for one outlet on the outside of the garage. Well, it's a GFI outlet of course, and it was tripped. When the gfi trips, everything downstream from that outlet also looses power. Pushed the reset button, turned the switch for the heater back on, and bang, fired right up.
Don't know if its old age or what, but when something breaks I always assume the worst instead of checking the basics first.

 

[missing linc]

A GFI outlet should be on it's own circuit, at least that is the building code here anyway. Found out about it when I built and wired my garage. Inspector was a decent guy and passed it, but he told me that I had to put it on its own circuit.

 

[67Dart273]

I wish to heck you'd asked on here before you started throwing money at parts. I used to maintain/ repair/ install HVAC. Unless things have changed, a dedicated circuit for a permanent heating/ cooling appliance does not need GFC They are "permanent" and are supposed to be additionally grounded. If nat gas, then the gas piping is supposed to be bonded to a ground. (The meter is isolated by dielectric joints same as a water heater)

 

[dadsbee]

Sounds like running out of fuel and starting by replacing the engine....

 

[toolmanmike]

I have a Modine gas fired unit heater in my garage. Stopped functioning a few weeks ago, so I start replacing parts (things that have gone wrong with it in the past), and nothing is fixed.
Finally figured out that there was no 120V getting to the unit.
The heater is on a dedicated circuit in the garage, except for one outlet on the outside of the garage. Well, it's a GFI outlet of course, and it was tripped. When the gfi trips, everything downstream from that outlet also looses power. Pushed the reset button, turned the switch for the heater back on, and bang, fired right up.
Don't know if its old age or what, but when something breaks I always assume the worst instead of checking the basics first.

I had a instructor at Tech School who's motto was "Never overlook the obvious". "Back to basics" comes to mind also. Good you figured it out.

 

[MileHighDart]

A GFI outlet should be on it's own circuit, at least that is the building code here anyway. Found out about it when I built and wired my garage. Inspector was a decent guy and passed it, but he told me that I had to put it on its own circuit.

That sounds weird to me, so you'd have to have a separate breaker and a separate run of wire for every outlet?
I believe that when I built my garage(25) or so years ago, in Colorado, I thought the deal was the first outlet in a string had to be gfi, and that would protect the rest of the outlets on that line. I could be remembering this all wrong, its been a while.

 

[MileHighDart]

I wish to heck you'd asked on here before you started throwing money at parts. I used to maintain/ repair/ install HVAC. Unless things have changed, a dedicated circuit for a permanent heating/ cooling appliance does not need GFC They are "permanent" and are supposed to be additionally grounded. If nat gas, then the gas piping is supposed to be bonded to a ground. (The meter is isolated by dielectric joints same as a water heater)

Yeah, I wish I had too, maybe someone would have told me to check power first. Anyway, live and learn. Just glad it's up and running.
I added the furnace later after the rest of the garage was done. I don't think it was my intent to GFI protect the furnace. But I had a breaker that only had one outlet on it, so I tapped into that for the furnace rather than adding another breaker. Never caused a problem till now. I could add a breaker and re route the wire for the furnace if you think there is any kind of safety issue with having an outlet and furnace on the same breaker.

 

[Ddaddy]

That sounds weird to me, so you'd have to have a separate breaker and a separate run of wire for every outlet?
I believe that when I built my garage(25) or so years ago, in Colorado, I thought the deal was the first outlet in a string had to be gfi, and that would protect the rest of the outlets on that line. I could be remembering this all wrong, its been a while.

Not quite like it sounds. GFI circuits are dedicated to a specific series of outlets. No other dedicated systems should be wired to it. In other words, an outlet in two bathrooms can be on the same GFI circuit, but the wall heater shouldn’t be. It should be on it’s own independent circuit with appropriate protections for it.

My garage outlet is on it’s own GFI curcuit. My kitchen has two GFI curcuit for each side of the room. My downstairs bathroom is on the same GFI curcuit as the master bath above it.

None of these circuits has any dedicated power for house systems on them. You get the idea.

 

[67Dart273]

Yeah, I wish I had too, maybe someone would have told me to check power first. Anyway, live and learn. Just glad it's up and running.
I added the furnace later after the rest of the garage was done. I don't think it was my intent to GFI protect the furnace. But I had a breaker that only had one outlet on it, so I tapped into that for the furnace rather than adding another breaker. Never caused a problem till now. I could add a breaker and re route the wire for the furnace if you think there is any kind of safety issue with having an outlet and furnace on the same breaker.

I'm not a practicing electrician, but generally, permanently installed "anything" should have a dedicated circuit. Even such as a freezer should be on it's own (unless of course you are in an ancient house, saddled with not enough circuits)