GFCI breaker no common

[Richard Hyland]

Will a GFIC breaker still function as a standard breaker that is as a circuit protector, if the common conductor (white) is not connected to the neutral bus bar?

Thank you

[Bruce A. King]

I have a few of these and will try it out tomorrow on my shop panel.


edit: checked it out on the GE type GFCI breakers.

Both white wires on the breaker must be connected to the neutral bus to get any current flow since the neutral current passes through the breaker.

The GFCI feature will work/test ok with the branch neutral wire disconnected and the pigtail neutral connected but the load will not work.

So the answer is "no" it won't function as a breaker but it has no need to since a load will not work anyway.

[Randy McKay]

I had a GFCI today that tripped as soon as I plugged my tester in it today, same problem?

[Robert Meier]

Is the branch circuit neutral connected to the breaker?

[Randy McKay]

the branch circuit wasn't identified, I couldn't start to turn off breakers.

[Robert Meier]

Without the neutral pigtail on the CB connected the GFCI function should not work. It should still function as an overcurrent protection device. A 2 pole GFCI CB with no load neutral will still provide GFCI protection if the CB neutral pigtail is connected to the neutral bus.