Lamp Post Trips GFCI

[A mom who needs help.]

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

[philoÂÂ]

A GFC outlet is /required/ for use in any moisture prone area such as a bathroom. The GFC may very well have saved your life.

Do NOT under any circumstances attempt to rewire the lamp and circumvent the life-saving protection.

Rather than risk your life, dispose of the unit and get a new replacement. If it's a built-in unit, have the work done by a qualified and licensed electrician. Do not try to save money on this one!

[Metspitzer]

Just a quick Google found this:

Which seems to confirm that, if the lamp post doesn't contain a receptacle, it doesn't need to be GFCI protected.

You can easily change this if the feed from the lamp enters the house in the same box as the GFCI receptacle by just changing the connections to the lamp post from "load" to "line"

If it enters the house somewhere else, you will have to describe more about how the wiring is done.

[trader4]

I believe you are correct. Unless the lampost is near a pool, I don't believe outdoor lights need GFCI, only receptacles do.

But the fact that it's tripping indicates that something is wrong and it's a potential problem. If it were mine, I'd diagnose and find the problem. It sounds like water is getting in somewhere that it doesn't belong. Could be a small thing that's easily fixed. Or it could be a more serious short that could potentially shock someone once the GFCI is bypassed, either now or later when it gets worse. If the post/fixture is correctly installed, grounded, etc the chance of that is probably small. But there is something not right or it would not be tripping.

[micky]

I agree with Trader and think you should find out what the problem is and not rewire until you do.

How does the light on the post get turned on. Is it a photocell that keeps it on all night? A switch in the house? A switch somewhere else?

If, for example it were wired wrong so that the switched line was the neutral and the hot line was always on**

**or maybe it's not wired wrong but the hot line is always not because it ruas to a solar cell switchl in the actual lamp socket

then if the hot wire were touching the metal post, or some semi-conductive partially carbonized bakelite was, and when the ground was wet some current flowed, that would trip the GFCI. (I'm trying to figure out the most likely way the GFCI would trip when the grass is wet.)

It would also mean if someone touched the post while it was hot, maybe in bare feet on the grass, they might get fried. At least if you disconnect it from the GFCI.

You could check if the post is "hot" but maybe it's not except when it's wet out, and then the GFCI immediately trips.

What happens when you reset the GFCI while the ground is still wet. Does it trip again right away, or does it stick?

[micky]

is always on....

it runs to a solar cell ....