electricalgfci
Is it normal for a GFCI, under load, to break at the electrical box and not the receptacle that caused the overload? Typically, I have only seen the receptacle trip and not the entire breaker.
I am not sure if this is the issue or not, but a closet in my house was wired to the same circuit as the outside GFCI. I have no idea why that is and only noticed it since we had contractors working on a project outside.
Some surge protectors work by "redirecting" surges to the equipment ground, which is pretty much the definition of a ground fault. In this case, it's definitely possible that surge suppressors could be tripping GFCI receptacles/breakers (given a large enough surge).
As for the AFCIs... When electrical contacts separate, they often create an arc between the contacts. This arc spans the gap until the contacts are too far apart, and the arc can no longer be sustained. It's possible (in theory) that the GFCI tripping could create a large enough arc, for long enough to cause the AFCI to trip. It's not likely that a properly functioning GFCI would do this, but if the GFCI was old and worn it could be opening the contacts slow enough that a detectable arc is being produced.
Determining if the GFCI tripping is causing the AFCI to trip, is a simple test. Simply press the test button on the GFCI. If the AFCI trips, you'll have figured out half the problem. If the ACFI does not trip, you could repeat the test using a receptacle tester with a GFCI test function.
If it's determined that the GFCI is causing the AFCI breaker to trip, replacing the GFCI receptacle may resolve that part of the issue.
Figuring out if the surge suppressor is tripping the GFCI, is a more difficult proposition. It will likely require you to monitor the supply voltage over some time, to identify and document possible surges.
This isn't "dangerous", but it can be inconvenient when your outlet goes dead and it's tricky to figure out where the GFCI reset button is.
On the other hand, this could be against your local electrical codes. For example, NEC 210.11(C)(3) states that your bathroom circuit may only power bathroom outlets. Note that there is an exception to this rule: When the circuit supplies one bathroom (i.e. isn't shared between bedrooms), other things (such as fans and lights) in the same bathroom can share the same circuit. Regardless, the mentioned situation is against the NEC code.
As to if the builder should modify this, I can't say. When in doubt, call your local building inspector.
Best Answer
GFCI receptacles and standard circuit breakers perform different functions.
A GFCI receptacle measures current going out and current coming back and if there is more than 5ma current difference between the two it trips. This is to prevent electrocution of people not overloads or short circuits.
Standard circuit breakers have two methods of tripping and are designed to trip on an overload, high current ground fault, or short circuit. The overload can be just slightly higher than it's rating. The ground fault or short circuit can be hundreds of amps in a residential panel.
So, if you are tripping the circuit breaker it is possible you are just overloading the circuit. In this case a GFCI receptacle will not trip.
Good luck!