Electrical help please

[Matt Miller]

I ran a new single GFCI outlet for my fishtank recently. New 20a breaker, the GFCI is also. I turned it on and tested it, all seemed fine.

I started my cycle and it stayed on till I went to sleep, and it tripped. I reset the outlet and it stayed on again 30+ minutes. It tripped again while I was at work, so I decided to get a new outlet and try that.

I flipped the breaker off and went to take out the outlet but now it's showing there's power in the line, with the breaker turned off.

I'm just confused what to do right now...

 

[Stanley Wong]

I ran a new single GFCI outlet for my fishtank recently. New 20a breaker, the GFCI is also. I turned it on and tested it, all seemed fine.

I started my cycle and it stayed on till I went to sleep, and it tripped. I reset the outlet and it stayed on again 30+ minutes. It tripped again while I was at work, so I decided to get a new outlet and try that.

I flipped the breaker off and went to take out the outlet but now it's showing there's power in the line, with the breaker turned off.

I'm just confused what to do right now...

 

[lavoisier]

If the breaker is "off" and you are still getting current then the breaker is faulty.

 

[Stanley Wong]

What equipment you have in the GFIC when it tripped ? How do you know there is power on the GFIC after you turn off the breaker (equipment running) ?

 

[Paul B]

That line is sharing a neutral like almost all circuits on any home, including my own. The last few years they changed the code and now in most states you are not allowed to do that and all new circuits must have their own neutral. It is not dangerous and I still wire things in my house that way and I have been a Master electrician for fifty years.

Are you using one of those proximeter testers where you hold the probe near the wire and it reads power?

 

[Matt Miller]

If the breaker is "off" and you are still getting current then the breaker is faulty.

This was my first thought.

 

[JGT]

If you are showing power ((I’m assuming via a pigtail) when the breaker is off then your breaker is bad. It’s not cutting the power in the off position.

 

[Paul B]

It is very unlikely that it is a bad breaker. Breakers very rarely go bad and when they do, they don't turn on. It could happen but in the thousands of breakers I installed, I can count on one finger that supplied power when it was off. Not impossible, but unlikely.

You are reading the power from another circuit through the neutral but we still don't know how you are testing this.

 

[Matt Miller]

What equipment you have in the GFIC when it tripped ? How do you know there is power on the GFIC after you turn off the breaker (equipment running) ?

I have my surge protector plugged in to the GFCI with my heater controller, return pump, ATO, light, and powerhead. Its been hooked up to a regular outlet with no issues till I get the GFCI fixed.
I took the plate off and tested the wires with a tester pen.

 

[Matt Miller]

This is what I'm using.

 

[Matt Miller]

That line is sharing a neutral like almost all circuits on any home, including my own. The last few years they changed the code and now in most states you are not allowed to do that and all new circuits must have their own neutral. It is not dangerous and I still wire things in my house that way and I have been a Master electrician for fifty years.

Are you using one of those proximeter testers where you hold the probe near the wire and it reads power?

Yes that's how I'm testing it, it shows the lines hot but the outlet isn't live.

Does that mean it's the GFCI like I first thought?

 

[Paul B]

I took the plate off and tested the wires with a tester pen.

Thats what I thought. Look for your garbage can and throw that thing out. As I said, you are reading the unbalanced load on the neutral. Your hot line is dead.

If you like, you can open your panel and find the breaker which is for that circuit. Follow the wire on that breaker to where it comes into the panel. It is probably coming in with a white wire and another colored wire, probably red.

Shut off the breaker that that colored wire is connected to and your line will be dead. It will even be dead with your pen tester if you want to take it out of the garbage.

It is normal and safe, don't worry about it.
That white wire, or neutral has current on it and can shock you. It is complicated to explain here but shut off both those breakers and you will be fine.

 

[Matt Miller]

Thats what I thought. Look for your garbage can and throw that thing out. As I said, you are reading the unbalanced load on the neutral. Your hot line is dead.

If you like, you can open your panel and find the breaker which is for that circuit. Follow the wire on that breaker to where it comes into the panel. It is probably coming in with a white wire and another colored wire, probably red.

Shut off the breaker that that colored wire is connected to and your line will be dead. It will even be dead with your pen tester if you want to take it out of the garbage.

It is normal and safe, don't worry about it.
That white wire, or neutral has current on it and can shock you. It is complicated to explain here but shut off both those breakers and you will be fine

Thats what I thought. Look for your garbage can and throw that thing out. As I said, you are reading the unbalanced load on the neutral. Your hot line is dead.

If you like, you can open your panel and find the breaker which is for that circuit. Follow the wire on that breaker to where it comes into the panel. It is probably coming in with a white wire and another colored wire, probably red.

Shut off the breaker that that colored wire is connected to and your line will be dead. It will even be dead with your pen tester if you want to take it out of the garbage.

It is normal and safe, don't worry about it.
That white wire, or neutral has current on it and can shock you. It is complicated to explain here but shut off both those breakers and you will be fine.

I ran the line and added the breaker so I know it's hooked up like the rest of the panel, the white and neutral are in the ground bar and the black runs into the breaker.

I am no electrician but I've been around and into a lot so I know enough to know what my limits are and when to ask for help.

I know the pen testers aren't the best equipment but it's helped me not get zapped quite a few times.

Everything is brand new, the breaker, gfci and the wire. I only have a 20g tank and don't see how it could be too much for one outlet. Should I try to change the GFCI and see if that works?

Thanks for all the help, I really do appreciate it.

 

[eric.tech]

One question I would have is does it trip without that particular surge protector installed? I had an APC surge protector connected to my generator when I lost power and it kept tripping the GFCI on the generator. Got rid of that particular surge protector and it was happy. Also, what type of lighting are you running on the tank?

Edit: as some have mentioned, ditch that pen. Bare minimum pick up a socket tester for GFCI’s. Ideally a multimeter/dvom should be use to check for current/voltage.

 

[Matt Miller]

One question I would have is does it trip without that particular surge protector installed? I had an APC surge protector connected to my generator when I lost power and it kept tripping the GFCI on the generator. Got rid of that particular surge protector and it was happy. Also, what type of lighting are you running on the tank?

Edit: as some have mentioned, ditch that pen. Bare minimum pick up a socket tester for GFCI’s. Ideally a multimeter/dvom should be use to check for current/voltage.

I'm not sure if it trips without since I just hooked it up and plugged in the surge protector. I can put it back together and plug the Christmas tree in and see what happens.

It's a new Enbrighten surge protector.

AI prime 16 hd light, just one.

I really do need to upgrade my tester, I will put it on my list, maybe even grab one today.

 

[nereefpat]

It sounds to me that some piece of equipment is tripping the GFCI, and the GFCI is doing its job. Usually it's a heater or a powerhead (if the powerhead is AC and not a controllable DC one like MP40).

I guess it could be something with the surge protector/ power strip. I would individually plug in each piece of equipment directly into the GFCI and see if you can get it to trip.

As far as checking voltage with the pen...hard for me to say. I have one that I like, but I've tried to use other peoples' and some are finicky. Of course a multimeter is better.

 

[Matt Miller]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Enbrighten-Enbrighten-Wi-Fi-Surge-Protector-7-Outlets-1440J-3ft-Cord-Black/1003138904?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-elc-_-google-_-lia-_-204-_-timersandsurgeprotectors-_-1003138904-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&ds_a_cid=112741100&gclid=CjwKCAiA8ov_BRAoEiwAOZogwbBNMXdz7wXc0zKjFZNDTC_Caqf3AQ5bmhKpnjApZ_EXOQUSLY-78hoCd5cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have an AI Nero 3 powerhead, all the equipment is plugged into the surge. Right now I've got just the tree plugged in and I have to get on to other projects.

If I find out it's one particular piece of equipment causing it would I different surge protector be able t help that?

 

[nereefpat]

If I find out it's one particular piece of equipment causing it would I different surge protector be able t help that?

If you find out that a single piece of equipment (heater?) trips the GFCI, then you have to throw out that piece of equipment and get a new one.

 

[Matt Miller]

If you find out that a single piece of equipment (heater?) trips the GFCI, then you have to throw out that piece of equipment and get a new one.

I have an inkbird with 2 heaters plugged into that. One is an older heater, but other than that everything else is brand new

 

[nereefpat]

I would plug the heaters, each individually, directly into the GFCI and see if one of them is bad.