GFCI in garage trips at heavy rains.


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Old 10-10-16, 06:42 PM
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GFCI in garage trips at heavy rains.

Hi. I have 3 GFCIs outlet in the garage, only one has a reset button. The one with a reset button has my water pump and now a FIOS ONT unit plugged in.

The other two - 1)sprinkler timer 2) outdoor extension cord to a dusk-to-to-dawn light controller.

The one with the reset button seems to trip whenever we have heavy rains. Could the cause be the extension cord running outside? Would switching the outlet to one with a reset button help? I guess I never thought that the other outlets could affect each other, but I am wondering if that is what is going on. I don't know the order of the outlets - how they are hooked up as this house was 4 years old when I bought it.
 
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Old 10-10-16, 08:20 PM
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The order of connection is GFI receptacle > standard receptacle > standard receptacle.
The GFI protects all the receptacles connected to its load side.

Adding an additional one will just compound your problems without changing the wiring.

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You've got some essential loads that need to stay connected. A nuisance trip from an outside extension cord shuts everything off. I would add two more GFI receptacles in place of the standard ones. There would need to be a wiring change. You would have to move the load wires and put them on the line side of the receptacle. Carry the lines thru to each one. This way a ground fault will only trip the receptacle it's plugged in to.
 

Last edited by pcboss; 10-10-16 at 08:48 PM. Reason: load was line in first paragraph
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Old 10-10-16, 08:24 PM
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You only have one GFCI. The others are probably Decora style receptacles run off the LOAD side of the GFCI. Of course the extension cord is causing it to trip in the rain. That's it's job. What amperage is the breaker supplying the circuit. Having a well pump on a receptacle is not normal.
 
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Old 10-11-16, 08:52 AM
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PJmax:

So even though the other receptacles are marked "GFCI", the fact that there is no reset button means that they are not, Correct? Ok, now I feel like a dumbass. Those outlets were marked when I moved in, right on the outlet...so I just made a stupid assumption. Yes I definitely want to have them replaced with individual GFCI outlets.

Guess I am going to call my electrician to have this done right.

chandler:
I don't know the amperage. My circuit breaker box is a 200 amp box. How do I tell what the breaker is?

My well pump is just for my sprinkler system. and has been running like this (plugged into a GFCI in the garage) for 18 years. It does not run every day, heck it does not even run every week, lately. (We've been deluged!) Everyone I know that has a sprinkler well pump, has it in their garage running on a standard outlet. How else should it be done?
 
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Old 10-11-16, 08:56 AM
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There is probably a blue sticker that says "Ground Fault Protected Outlet". If not, post a picture of what you have. No need for an electrician. Just do away with the extension cord, or protect it from rain.

No need to install more GFCI receptacles. One protects them all.
 
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Old 10-11-16, 09:10 AM
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The extension cord powers the controller for some outdoor lights - and I need those lights. I'll have to figure out a way to protect the controller without covering it up (it has a photosensor).

Yeah those outlets have a little blue sticker...just like you said.

By the way, this is the offending item. It works awesomely, except for the rain thing! I'll have to figure that out.

https://www.amazon.com/Woods-13547-6...or+light+timer
 

Last edited by yardnut; 10-11-16 at 11:18 AM.
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Old 10-11-16, 03:40 PM
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The extension cord powers the controller for some outdoor lights
Then it is incorrectly connected. Code says extension cords are for temporary use only not permanent wiring. Tell us about the controller and we will help you wire it correctly.
 
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Old 10-12-16, 08:07 AM
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The extension cord is for some seasonal lights, that I like to keep lit. How do you connect your outdoor seasonal lights?
 
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Old 10-12-16, 10:41 AM
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Run underground cable from a good source to an elevated receptacle with an In Use cover. Plug in the lights.
 
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Old 10-12-16, 11:02 AM
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There is no room to bury a cable. This is literally right outside the garage, beside the driveway in front of the porch. All of one foot, maybe, outside the garage. An extension from the connector runs up onto the porch where the lights are plugged in - and those are protected from rain. I will work on waterproofing the connector. It's the dusk-to-dawn function of this connector that I like, and want, so that's what makes it a bit trickier to waterproof. I'll figure something out. Maybe attach it up on the porch somehow.
 
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Old 10-12-16, 06:30 PM
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Okay, a quick jury-rig, but it will do for now. Cut off the top of a 2-liter soda bottle, cut a tab for the cord coming out of the controller, and slid it down on top of the it. Also moved the controller back against the brick, now it's under the overhang above the porch. Could still get hit with rains there, but this should provide protection for the plugs, until I figure out a better solution.
 
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Old 02-20-24, 12:29 AM
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You don’t need multiple GFCI receptacles for each application. The outlets that do not have the reset buttons on are not GFCI receptacles. The are labeled as GFCI because they are controlled by one GFCI receptacle.

I have the same problem. Every time is raining in a weeklong run, the GFCI receptacle trips. There are 3 outdoor outlets that are connected to one GFCI receptacle that is in my garage. Like today it tripped too because the rain hasn’t stopped since the last week. And because the garage door is closed most of the time, I smelled a strong humidity buildup in my garage. It always happens when there’s a weeklong rain. As soon as the rain stops and the garage is ventilated, it works nonstop. In the past I even replaced the recycle thinking that it will fix the problem. But it didn’t. It turned out to be the high humidity buildup in my garage. I have the habit of hosing down the garage. That too creates the humidity.

the outlets outside are covered. In my case I believe the reason the GFCI receptacle trips is because of the humidity buildup in my garage. That’s why the local ordinances are requiring to install those receptacles in the bathrooms, kitchen, and garage. Because all of those areas have water. Those receptacles mostly are designed to prevent fire from short circuits that are created by water.

if your extension cord is exposed to the rain/water, you need to seal it with waterproof insulation so that the water doesn’t get in there. Or use waterproof extension cords.

if the circuit breaker is 15 amp and you’re running a pump to it, you have to make sure that the circuit breaker is capable of withholding the kind of power that the pump exerts. You might want to check your GFCI circuit breaker to verify if it will sustain the amp of the pump. Those receptacles are not designed to handle higher amps. Otherwise your neighbors can plug their heavy duty power tools into your outlets and run electricity from your house. 😂

that’s another reason why those receptacles trip before the circuit breaker trips.
 
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Old 02-20-24, 02:10 AM
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This thread is 8 years old almost.
 
CasualJoe voted this post useful.
 

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