GFCI & Ants

[Stormin' Norman]

Interesting experience the other day, the GFI for the in-ground pool would not reset. When I first looked at the outdoor outlet, it was covered in ants, which at first didn't make much sense.

After removing the cover and pulling the outlet I discovered why the ants were there; termite droppings and undoubtedly eggs.

Disconnected the outlet and tested it on the bench, still bad. I cut it open and discovered a large number of ants had gotten into the outlet and covered the little circuit board, most likely shorting it out.

I replaced the outlet with a sealed, non-outlet GFI and the pool pump is back in operation. That is the first time I have seen Ants disable a GFI outlet.

[Ken]

I have had ants be attracted to the A/C hum of the contactor for a air condition compressor unit. After having it happen twice, I too bought a sealed contactors.

[Stormin' Norman]

Attracted to the hum? That is interesting, I wouldn't have thought that would be an attractant for ants.

[gfretwell]

It is a pretty common thing here. Big ants will lay eggs in any enclosure they can find. If you get things well up off the ground it helps but you still may get them.

[Ralph Mowery]

Where I worked we had some big disconnect and reversing switches for some motors that were in boxes about the size of a desk top computer and about 3 feet off the ground on posts about 4 inches square. Ants would sometimes get into those boxes. No relays to make any hum.

[Mark Lloyd]

I have. I had one GFCI that buzzed a lot, tripped easily, the stopped working. When I looked in the box it was full of ants and their feces.