Why does a charger trip an RCD or GFCI socket?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: A GFCI trips when it sees a small current leaking to ground. Chargers have a small normal leakage through their filter, and many chargers on one socket add up. Damp, a damaged cable or a faulty charger can add more. Try another charger and another socket. If the charger trips several sockets, stop using it.

What a GFCI does

A GFCI or RCD compares the current going out with the current coming back. If a small amount is missing, it assumes the current is going through a person or the ground, and it cuts power within a fraction of a second. In North America the trip level is in the low milliamp range.

Why a charger can cause it

• Normal leakage. Switching chargers have filter parts that allow a very small current to leak. One charger is usually fine. Many on one circuit can add up.
• Moisture. A damp charger, a damp socket or condensation provides a path to ground.
• Damage. A damaged cable, a cracked housing or internal fault.
• Poor quality. Chargers without good insulation or with poor filter design.
• Socket fault. An old or faulty GFCI can trip too easily.
• Extension cords and strips. They add chargers and moisture to the circuit.

What to check

1. Try the charger on another circuit.
2. Try another charger on the same socket.
3. Remove other items from the circuit.
4. Dry the area. Do not use the charger outdoors or in a wet place unless it is made for it.
5. Check the cable and housing for damage.
6. Press the test and reset buttons on the GFCI.

When to stop

If the charger trips more than one GFCI, has a damaged housing, smells or is hot, stop using it. Ask an electrician if the socket itself trips on its own.

Do not bypass

Never defeat the protection by using a non-GFCI outlet in a wet area. The GFCI is there for safety.

For brands

Test leakage current within the limits in the safety standard, and test in humidity.

Quick summary

Try another charger and another circuit. A charger that trips repeatedly should go.

Example

A kitchen socket trips whenever a phone charger and a laptop charger are both plugged into the same circuit with a power strip. Plugging each into a different circuit solves it, which suggests normal leakage adding up, not a fault. If a single charger trips the socket alone, the charger is the problem.

Where this answer says to confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the regulators, standards bodies or device makers named in the text.