RCBS Pro Melt BAD LUCK story

[Tazman1602]

DOH!
Man I am totally frustrated with RCBS right now. I bought a brand new Pro melt from Midway way back in August, over a month ago. First pot they sent me was for 240 volt European voltage. Send it back we'll re-imburse shipping..............cost me $16 to ship it back, they refunded me $12.

Got new 110 volt pot..............WHOOPEEE! Can't wait to try a pot that actually doesn't drip much and has a good temp control...........

...........didn't even get it past the initial 15 minute heating they suggest before it blew a GFCI on the circuit it was plugged into. OK maybe I'm taxing that circuit too much, unplug everything but the pot...............five minutes and it blows GFCI. OK maybe GFCI is bad, replace GFCI and same thing. Replace circuit breaker in panel, same thing.

Keep in mind this same circuit usually handles a remote ballast metal halide lamp that sits over my casting bench, two Lee pots, a small fan to cool my molds, and a hotplate to preheat the molds.

Call RCBS, "Yup, no problem, send it back and we'll take care of it, that is only a 15 amp unit"

They recieved it August 30th, I called last week and was told it was in the system but they couldn't tell me what the status was. OK fine it will "probably be this week".

Another week and still nothing. I'm out $350 and have still not been able to use my blankety blank blank blank blank ARRRRGGGGHHHH lead pot yet!!!

OK, rant over, I'm sure they'll get it back to me but dayyum the waiting is killing me!!!!!

Art

[shaune509]

Hope RCBS gets the pot back to you soon and found a true problem.
I have had the same problem with several heat element tools and GFI's, seems that the element has some voltage leaking to ground that the GFI trips on but is well below any point of electric shock and tests out as ok. Seen it happen on magnetic block heaters, stock tank heaters and even tractor internal block heaters. You may need to use a non GFI protacted plug if it comes back and still trips your GFI. Also humidity and static electric condution from the work bench will also trip the GFI. I am not an electrican just some real world experance.
Shaune509

[chboats]

I had the same problem with the pro melt poping the GFI. fixed the problem by puting a 20 amp GFI outlet in place of the 15 amp outlet. The 20 amp outlet is less sensitive. The circuit is still protected by the 15 amp circuit breaker but the GFI doesn't trip quite as easy.
Carl

[mstarling]

Interesting.

Some years ago I lost the last heating element in an old Lyman pot that had lasted me many years. Went to eBay and found a Pro Melt for $100 and bought it. Came in and ran fine.

Shortly thereafter I was given another Pro Melt. Had been relatively lightly used. Was still full of alloy. Plugged it in and it immediately tripped the GFI on the same circuit the other pot was running on. I set the gift aside and haven't fiddled with it since. Really ought to get the darned thing fixed. Would hate to be without a pot if the eBay Pro Melt fails.

Any suggestions?

[seagiant]

Hi,
Yea,get rid of the GFI outlet altogether and buy a regular outlet from a good electric warehouse like BESCO! The circut breaker in the panel box will protect the circuit and the pot is only on when you are using it anyway? Right! Of course if it is a heavy ground to short it will pop the panel breaker no matter what outlet you are running!

[Dale53]

GFI's will trip from the strangest things. I have an outdoor outlet and it is on the same circuit as the ceiling fan in my Florida room. I can sometimes trip the GFI circuit breaker by turning the fan OFF!

I figure I need the GFI outside but I would NOT put up with one inside. Change to a plain outlet and let the regular circuit breaker (I would and do use a 20 amp circuit breaker). I have no problems whatsoever with either of my RCBS Pro pots.

FWIW
Dale53

[chboats]

According to an RCBS rep tripping a 15amp GFI is a common problem. The rep was the one recommended switching to a 20 amp GFI. My outlet is connected to an outside outlet and I don't want to get rid of the GFI if I can help it. Have had no further problems after switching the outlet
Carl

[cheese1566]

Same thing with my dishwasher. I know you should have them with water appliances, but she kept popping and I had to roll out the washer from the cabinet since they put the GFCI behind the dishwasher.

New outlet fixed that...

[timkelley]

chboats, do you have room in the outside outlet box to put the GFI in it? I agree the outside outlet should have a GFI but the inside one doesn't require one unless there is water near. Perhaps you could use an exterior box extender to get the room.

[chboats]

timkelley - There are 4 outlets daisy chained, three outside and one in the garage. The one I plug into is the last one in the chain, in the garage. The GFI is the first one in the chain. I would have to rewire the whole circuit. Since the 20 amp works I'm not going to mess with it.

I could relocate my casting set up to the other side of the garage (different circuit) but would loose the washer and drier hookup. SWMBO likes me being able to cast my own boolits but not that much.

Carl

[Tazman1602]

I had the same problem with the pro melt poping the GFI. fixed the problem by puting a 20 amp GFI outlet in place of the 15 amp outlet. The 20 amp outlet is less sensitive. The circuit is still protected by the 15 amp circuit breaker but the GFI doesn't trip quite as easy.
Carl

Thanks Carl but I already did that. Original GFCI was a 15 amp and I replaced with a brand new 20 amp along with swapping the 15 am circuit breaker with another new one I keep on hand. Dang thing would pop in five minutes.....

Art

[shaune509]

Tazman,you may also want tocheck each wire connection from breaker panel to end of circuit. Any lose connection will increase the amp load down the line, use the screws not the pushin points for a better contact. Also double check that the circuit has not gotten the hot and neutral fliped some were, plug testers are cheap at the depo. 15amp is about twice what the Pro melter needs but bad conections and being as you said at the end of how long a wire increases the amp draw.
Hope you get it solved.
Shaune509

[Tazman1602]

Well it's been another two weeks almost and three more calls to RCBS. Very disappointed.

First call two weeks ago was "Yessir we've got your pot here and they are working on it, should be done and go out to you this week"

End of that week no pot. Called RCBS again last Monday and got "The tech who's working on your pot isn't at his station but we will have him give you a call". OK no problem. End of day and no call was returned.

Called the next day last Tuesday and explained again what was going on and that I still didn't have my pot back, guy on the phone was helpful and said he'd personally walk back and talk to the tech. Then he came back on and said he was working on it but hadn't gotten it done yet but "probably would be done this week".

Still don't have my brand new $350 Pro-Melt back, guess I'll call again Monday and see if it may be gotten to next week.

Man I haven't even used the blasted thing. EVERY single time in the last 30 years I've gotten stellar customer service from RCBS but this is really starting to make me wonder...............

Just an update for anyone who's been watching. My mistake, shouldn't have shipped it back to RCBS per RCBS, should have shipped it directly back to Midway for an exchange.....woulda coulda shoulda....

Art

[Hardcast416taylor]

Had the same GFI popping problem out in my barn. Whenever I started my RCBS pot to melting "POP" goes the 15 amp breaker! About the 3rd time this happened in 30 min. I started checking all the other circuits. I found a 20 amp about 25 feet away from my casting bench that I used to run my 110 volt air compressor. I had a No. 10 wire short drop cord, about 20 ft. long. I plugged my pot to it and it into the 20 amp box - no "POP"! Been running the pot this way for quite awhile now. Remember, I`m a plumber NOT an electrician!Robert

[Tazman1602]

Thanks Robert,

If I ever get my blasted pot back I've already run another separate 20 amp circuit in my basement with zero GFI..............

ARRRRGGGGH I just want to cast with the dog gone thing, it's fall now and I have a tremendous urge to cast and shoot now that's its not in the 90's anymore!!!

Art

[Tazman1602]

To my delight a box from RCBS showed up last week. Even though they had it for a month they kept testing until a problem was found in the part that shuts the heat off when it gets the melt to temp.

They didn't even mess around, they just shipped me overnight a brand new Promelt that works on any circuit in the house no problem. Hope to get some serious casting in this weekend hopefully.

Thanks for all the good advice and help!

Art