Every time I plug in the block heater on my 05 F350 6.0L, it trips the GFCI switch on the outlet. Nothing else is plugged in on that circuit. Is there any way to avoid this problem? Maybe a heavier duty extension cord? Would distance from the outlet make a difference? The closest I can park is about 45 feet, and the cord is 50 feet. Anyone have any similar experiences and solutions? Thanks!

 

It's tripping because it's trying to tell you something is wrong. Could be your cord. Could be your heater. Could be the GFCI outlet. (they go bad)

Try a different cord. I've had plenty of extension cords that were left outside start to trip a GFCI outlet. They get moisture inside the insulation, even when you can't see anything on the outside.

It could also be the cord on your truck, or a fault within the element itself.

You might try plugging into a different GFCI outlet just to see if it trips.

 

Carefully inspect the block heater cord where it connects to the heater element. The OEM metal retainer clip had almost cut through my block heater cord. I replaced the cord with a $30 one from the IH dealer, and it has a screw-on plastic retainer bezel that is vastly superior in design to the OEM Ford metal clip.

 

Is the truck side plug melted? If so replace the cord.

 

When did you get the new truck Ryan?

 

I'll check the heater tomorrow and see if the cord has any damage. The plugs are all in good condition on the extension cord. I do leave the cord outside, so maybe snow got into it? Also, I don't think it is a super heavy duty cord. I think I read in a different thread that if the cord doesn't have a heavy enough gauge, it could burn up due to the amount of current drawn? If you look at the picture in my signature, the only outside outlet I have access to is about 3-4 feet beyond the second door of the house in the background.

Tom, got the truck back in late July or so. I got a new job that allowed me to afford something a little newer, nicer, and better fuel mileage. Did all my research before I even began the search, and was able to find a nice truck. I'm very happy with it overall. So you'll definitely need to make it to the Ohio meet next year to check it out. And yes, I have kept a close eye on the oil.

 

Mine would trip when snow would get in between the extension cord and the plug.

 

I tried mine for the first time recently, when it went down to 6f, no issues. I have it on a switched GFCI in my garage, with a refrigerator, and some lights on the same circuit. I think some protected outlets may have slightly higher tolerance, and loose it as they age. The one in my old bathroom would instantly trip when you plugged anything in, and then would be fine after pushing the reset button while the device was still plugged in. Not sure if you should do that with the truck though, lol. The GFCI I plug the truck heater into, is only 2 years old. When I bought that one, some of the other outlets just looked cheaper. You should go pick a up a fresh one, best one they have. It's a good measure to take, even if it turns out not to be the main problem.

 

GFCI plugs trip based on the current difference in the live and neutral conductors. Long extension cords with relatively high current loads are known to commonly cause nuisance trips. You should have a 12 gauge cord at least for that distance and the load of a block heater.

Brian

 

That's not likely, these heaters only draw ~900W if I remember right. Most every extension cord I've seen is rated for 1500W or more.

Sounds great!

 

Well, the apartment was built in '03, so the outlets are 12 years old presumably. The outside outlet is the second outlet on the circuit, so the first outlet inside the building is the one that is GFCI protected. As soon as the truck is plugged in the breaker trips, and unless I unplug the truck, it won't reset.

So when I get home from work, I will start at the heater and work my way back to the outlet.

 

This is very unsafe advice! 900 watts is a heavy load. If you plug it into a 16ga extension cord, it WILL get hot. (The cord, not the element) The longer the cord is the more heat you will get and the more dangerous it is. Also, any imperfections in the cord and on the plug ends further increase this. Most commonly, a block heater extension cord gets dragged around outside and has damage along it's insulation, and moisture inside. If you have used your extension cord outside for more than a few days in the weather you can almost be guaranteed there is some moisture inside. Even if it "looks" fine.

Think of the block heater just like a space heater you might use in your house. Would you plug a 1500 watt space heater into a 50' or more 16ga worn out extension cord from outside? I sure hope not!

As suggested above, for 50' and beyond you need to use a 12ga cord. Shorter than that use a 14ga cord. Don't ever use anything smaller than that.

 

Nope, I don't think I would.

But the block heater uses just over 8A, and a 16-gauge 50' extension cable is rated for 10. So yeah, I'd happily plug my block heater into one of them. Why wouldn't I?

 

Another thing to try - clean the prongs on your block heater plug. All the block heater plugs I've ever seen are dirty and weathered. Clean the prongs with a wire brush until they are nice and shiny!

 

Because 8 amps is too much for a 50' or more cord dragged outside most likely not in perfect condition. It WILL get hot, that is a guarantee. If any cord gets hot during use that means it was too small! That rating on the cord is not continuous duty. Lots of people leave their block heaters plugged in for 12 hours or more. Even my short 14ga cord gets warm, I should replace it with a 12ga.

You get more voltage, and more heat in your block with a better cord anyway. Why cheap out? If you can afford a diesel truck you can afford a decent cord.