ATI tripping GFCI

[ChrisQ0904]

I have an ATI fixture that trips my GFCI outlet everytime my whites turn on (recent problem) and I noticed one of the bulbs is out. I changed the ballast that powers that bulb but still trips the GFCI, when I had the fixture open I did not see any shorts anywhere or any burn marks. Is it possible that it is the socket for the bulb that is bad? I placed an order for new sockets through ATI and am awaiting them. If I plug in the whites into a normal outlet they stay on without tripping anything, but that one bulb is still out. I tried switching the bulb with a known working bulb and the issue remains the same.

Besides the socket for the bulb is there anything else I should check?

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Yes, it's certainly possible for you to have a bad socket, I've had this happen a few times over the years. One thing to check carefully is if you've had salt spray/salt creep get into the fixture. One other thing to check if you have a volt meter is to test the powered-up fixtures' metal case to ground - it should read less than 5 volts.

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

There is possibly nothing wrong with your T5 or ballast. I had the same problem. If you google it you will see that for some reason a lot of T5s trip GFCI circuits without there being an actual “fault”. I ended up changing my lights to a different circuit for this exact reason.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

There is possibly nothing wrong with your T5 or ballast. I had the same problem. If you google it you will see that for some reason a lot of T5s trip GFCI circuits without there being an actual “fault”. I ended up changing my lights to a different circuit for this exact reason.

I am assuming there is something wrong though because I still have the one bulb that wont turn on, even on a non GFCI outlet.

 

[Eggs]

The gfci, if properly wired, will cover all outlets “down stream” (going away from breaker). Try one of those plugs. Some electronics (including non-aquarium) will easily trip it if plugged directly into the gfci outlet.
The gfci could also be bad, it happens.

 

[tehmadreefer]

If its just the one bulb themn the socket must be damaged, as if its direction to gfci the whole unit would shut down or the bulb sets that are plugged in, not just one bulb.

 

[Suspect]

What brand is the GFCI? I had issues with my T5s tripping multiple brand new Legrands. Switched it out with a Hubbell and hasn’t tripped in over a year.