GFCI outlet keeps trripping
- Thread starter kriv4o
- Start date
alton
Well-known member
Since your fishroom is no longer your garage, some may consider it a recreation room and require an Arc Fault Breaker along with GFCI receptacles because of the water. Garages require GFCI protection. I am waiting for the code to start naming aquariums in 210.8 A. Oh yea they now make GFCI receptacles that make noise when they trip.
OrionN
Moved on
Please be sure that you know how to connect them. I am very sorry if it seem that I "look down" on you. It is straight forward. But there is no way I know how comfortable or knowledgeable you (or any reefer here on the board) are working with electricity. On a whole, successful reefers are very handy.
Connect them in parallel and you get independent GFCI. Connect any outlet in series from the initial GICI and you get GFCI protection on a regular outlet. However, when any outlet involved in this wiring when tripped, it will shut off the GFCI and any connection in series downstream from that GFCI.
If someone don't understand what I wrote above, they should leave wiring electricity to the professional.
kriv4o
New member
Yeah its straight forward and I understood it. I just didn't know I can make all receptacles independent. Which would help a lot in the future. I did get the GFCI outlets rated for outdoors use by the NEC as well as plastic cover boxes in case splashing occur.
I will look into the arc fault protection as soon as I swap the outlets and hopefully get everything going without having to reset the GFCI multiple times a day.
I plan on adding another circuit or 2 if the panel alows it sometime down the line.
I will look into the arc fault protection as soon as I swap the outlets and hopefully get everything going without having to reset the GFCI multiple times a day.
I plan on adding another circuit or 2 if the panel alows it sometime down the line.
alton
Well-known member
Tell that to your local city inspector. As an electrician you have to follow NEC 2014. There is not a room in your heated area that does not require Arc Fault breakers, unless you live in Chicago and have a conduit system, then you can use afci receptacles. Gentlemen you cannot come on a public forum and tell somebody they don't have to follow the national electrical code?
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
Code in the United States is a GFCI breaker and Outlets. Just went to school for this. I also agree it overkill but that's code for you
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
Don't follow code unless you want to burn your house down and then try to explain to your insurance company why you did the work with no knowledge of electrical code or installation. I'm sure they will be real pleased to hear that story. God forbid you lose a pet or worse a family member because you followed poor advise from someone on this forum
like most things made in china the quality of many gfi outlets is terrible...maybe buy the next ones from an electrical supply store rather than a big box...then again the ones an electrician installed in my new garage both failed within 2 years.. and the ones from lowes i replaced them with are ok....but i certainly wouldnt want all the outlets in my fishroom running off the same gfi outlet...my house was built last summer...it has arc fault breakers in all the rooms and conventional breakers for all appliance circuits with gfi outlets in all wet areas...there's gfi's in the kitchen so you dont die when you drop the toaster in the sink,but the outlet a foot away that the fridge is plugged into is on a conventional breaker...why?...cause its hard to drop the fridge in the sink,and people would be really ****ed if all the food in the fridge went bad everytime a gfi popped for no reason(lightening strikes like to set them off around here)...go on an electrician's forum and see all the pro's complaining about stuff that trips for no reason...funny how many people kept aquariums for decades before gfi's and afci's were invented without burning down the house or being electrocuted...but as we all know,our government knows whats best for us
GFCI's do not prevent fire. They are designed to save people. Arc faults do prevent fires, but, there are constant arcs in a motor, and therefore trip arc fault breakers. By far, the most common cause of electrical fires are arc faults.
I would never place any of my aquarium equipment on a GFI. I do have a ground probe in my water to prevent me from becoming the path to a dead short, plus, if there is a neutral leak, it will just go through the ground, not me.
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
I went to school to be a electrician and I also don't use GFCI anywhere on my tank. I also agree with you that arc faults cause many more fires in homes. On the flip side if water gets on a regular outlet it may or may not trip your breaker, which can lead to a fire
kriv4o
New member
It turned out to be a faulty receptacle. It sucks because its less than 6 months old and it would be a nightmare to swap all receptacles 2 times a year. I swapped the one I put in when I moved in with a outdoor rated one from the box store and it's fine for now. I hope it would last longer. Much longer.
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