Circuit for Garage/Outdoo

According to barry martin :

Generally speaking, the LV side of a low-voltage light transformer _cannot_ trip a GFCI, because the low voltage is not directly coupled to the neutral or the hot, and hence you can't get an imbalance. One side of the LV may be grounded, but that doesn't help.

For a GFCI to trip from a LV system, the leak has to be on the 120V side of the LV transformer - ie: bad plug, cracked cord, leakage into LV transformer enclosure.

Bug nest, cobwebs, or wherever you might see some deposition of minerals from evaporating water becoming conductive when it gets moist. Could even be indirectly from an air leak _through_ a box.

Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty handy, but I didn't quite know how to tackle this one, especially b/c it may implicate the whole system (there are dead outlets in and around the garage, and the wiring was done before I got there), so I called an electrician to take a look at the tripping circuit and system capacity and other issues.

Rich:

R > I don't think so. They are pretty well protected. I just think it is R > too many circuits, etc. running off one little GFCI.

Should be overloading a GFCI but I don't think that is your problem. Had a light sensor (on at dusk, off at dawn) partially short out. GFCI was buzzing but did not trip. (Replaced the sensor and the GFCI, just in case it was defective.)

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

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According to Rich :

Dead outlets etc?

Yeah, hiring someone is the best approach here.

Hi Rich!

R > Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty handy, but I didn't quite know how R > to tackle this one, especially b/c it may implicate the whole system R > (there are dead outlets in and around the garage, and the wiring was R > done before I got there), so I called an electrician to take a look at R > the tripping circuit and system capacity and other issues.

Could you post back what the electrician found and possibly how?

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Old magicians never die, they just disappear.

Hi Chris!

CL> > There is a possibility of a problem with leakage of the low-voltage CL> > lights but I'm thinking not. To test, unplug both sets during CL> > conditions when the GFCI normally trips. I'm thinking the GFCI will CL> > still trip; you've eliminated the lights as the problem. CL> Generally speaking, the LV side of a low-voltage light transformer CL> _cannot_ trip a GFCI, because the low voltage is not directly coupled CL> to the neutral or the hot, and hence you can't get an imbalance. CL> One side of the LV may be grounded, but that doesn't help. CL> CL> For a GFCI to trip from a LV system, the leak has to be on the 120V side CL> of the LV transformer - ie: bad plug, cracked cord, leakage into LV transfo mer CL> enclosure.

That would make sense - the low voltage lights themselves wouldn't trip the OP's GFCI but a possibility the power supply for the low voltage lights could. If the lights were unplugged, by which I meant unplugging the power supply when I responded, and the OP's GFCI still tripped then this would eliminate the entire LV lighting circuit. I lost a few points on a technicality.

CL> > What I'm thinking is your GFCI trips during higher moisture conditions CL> > such as after a rain/watering, when it's foggy, humid. There may be a CL> > cobweb or other bug's nest which when humid causes enough conduction CL> > to ground to trip the GFCI. Check inside outlet boxes, switch boxes, CL> > even junction boxes. I would start with the outside boxes first, CL> > especially if the tripping occurs when it rains or when watering (and CL> > if watering obviously the box getting wet!). CL> CL> Bug nest, cobwebs, or wherever you might see some deposition of CL> minerals from evaporating water becoming conductive when it gets CL> moist. Could even be indirectly from an air leak _through_ a box.

Could you explain the last sentence, please? Or is the "air leak through a box" what is supply the conductive moisture? ...Some how I'm thinking your response might have something to do with moisture condensing because of the air flow though a small opening causing a temperature drop (Venturi Effect?).

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

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