i have a circuit that has a new plug in type gfi. on the load side it goes to another plug and a small florescent light that is switched.
about every third time you flip the switch to off it kicks the gfi.
so i think no problem i will just wire the light in to the line side,it doesn’t really need gfi protection. so thats what i do. light is wired to the incoming line,the downstream plug is on the load side so it still has protection.
throw the switch off,pop! there goes the gfi??????????????????
what now? do i have a switch that is bad, a gfi that is to sensitive and needs replaced? or is it something about the florescent light screwing with it? ever notice how something that will just take 10 minutes turns into a all day deal?
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE – WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN’T
MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN’T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
DUCT TAPE.
Replies
Try using an incandescent light and see if that does anything. Other than that check all your boxes and make sure connections are good and nothing is touching anything it shouldnt be.
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Just a guess, but the fluorescent light has a capacitor in there that is charging/discharging, and the variance in current on the two legs when it does it is tripping the gfi.
"Just a guess, but the fluorescent light has a capacitor in there that is charging/discharging, and the variance in current on the two legs when it does it is tripping the gfi."If it is a magnetic ballast then it is all (or mostly) an inductor.An electronic ballast will have a rectifier feeding a capacitor.But in either case the cap is between the hot and neutral. The current in the 2 legs is identical. The only difference between that and a resistor is that the current lags the voltage.My guess is that this is a noise spike that is getting back into the electronics that form the GFCI function.I would try a different brand, not just a new one from the same source..
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"so i think no problem i will just wire the light in to the line side,it doesn't really need gfi protection. so thats what i do. light is wired to the incoming line,the downstream plug is on the load side so it still has protection."
Just to be clear, you re-wired both hot and neutral of the light circuit from load-side to line-side terminal connectors on the GFCI?
BruceT
Edited 5/29/2009 11:49 pm by brucet9
yep,switched them both. thanksYOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'TMOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THEDUCT TAPE.
I wonder, then if there might be an internal problem in the GFCI, such that the load-monitoring logic chip is somehow seeing the line pass-through? Even if it is, and you replace it with a new GFCI, I would be concerned that there is still something about that switched circuit that is not right.BruceT
i think i'll give that a shot,replace the gfi probably a new switch also. then if it keeps kicking,new light. larryYOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'TMOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THEDUCT TAPE.