GFCI Electrical Help

[ctopherl]

I have my tank on a circuit controlled by a GFCI, but the outlet my tank equipment is plugged into is not GFCI (my house is wired strangely).

The GFCI keeps tripping, turning everything off. When I hit the reset button, it kicks on for maybe 10 seconds, then shuts off again.

The breaker is not tripping.

I took the main power strip of tank equipment (2 power strips total but this one has the bulk of everything) and ran it to an outlet on a separate circuit via extension cable temporarily. Now everything works fine, including resetting the GFCI.

What’s the deal? Why does my GFCI keep tripping off that one power strip? The only thing I changed was moving that power strip off the circuit.

 

[Megability]

Some are just cheap, replace it, it shouldn’t be tripping

 

[ctopherl]

Some are just cheap, replace it, it shouldn’t be tripping

That was my first thought, but seems like an odd coincidence that right when I move that power strip it stopped. Is that actually a coincidence? Tank has been running over a year this way. Had one mysterious trip of GFCI about a month ago, reset it and other than that, no issues.

 

[fishingchuck]

Agree with replacing it. I’ve had that issue with one in my kitchen.

 

[workhz]

So you removed a load off an outlet downstream of gfci? Could either be the power strip, something connected to the power strip or too much load (with the gfci going before a breaker).

 

[ctopherl]

So you removed a load off an outlet downstream of gfci? Could either be the power strip, something connected to the power strip or too much load (with the gfci going before a breaker).

The power strip and everything connected is working now that I’ve put it on another circuit (non-GFCI) temporarily.

The breaker hasn’t tripped at all.

 

[highest_tides]

Any recently added to the control system? It does sound like load. A new UV without a ground probe for example.

 

[workhz]

The power strip and everything connected is working now that I’ve put it on another circuit (non-GFCI) temporarily.

The breaker hasn’t tripped at all.

X was on a circuit that sensed Y event. You moved X. That does not mean that event Y has ceased to occur.

 

[ctopherl]

Any recently added to the control system? It does sound like load. A new UV without a ground probe for example.

Oddly, I actually removed equipment off the power strip (specifically a UV) so it should now be under less load. This was done this past Wednesday.

 

[ctopherl]

X was on a circuit that sensed Y event. You moved X. That does not mean that event Y has ceased to occur.

I guess I would expect the equipment plugged into the power strip to not be working if the power strip was the weak link. Is that not the right way to think about it?

 

[roosterreefer]

I think workhz was more pointing out that something on that power strip, could be the strip itself or something plugged into it, could be tripping the GFCI but not tripping the other circuit's breaker.

That's possible because breakers and GFCIs operate differently. Breakers are designed to trip before a really large current can damage your wiring or fry a motor or something. GFCI devices are designed to be very sensitive to small current fluctuations and to trip before a person can be shocked enough to be injured. So it takes much less to trip a GFCI.

On top of that, because of the sensitivity (I think) GFCI plugs will "go bad", or wear out, and start tripping at thresholds smaller than they are designed to, so it is common to have to replace them after X years.

So you might have a tiny short in something that is tripping the GFCI, or you might have a GFCI that needs replacing. For $40 or so you can replace the GFCI and see if the problem is solved. If not, you can plug your equipment in one piece at a time and find out which one may have a short. But it's important to figure out. You don't ever want to take chances on the mixture of electricity and salt water.

 

[Red_Beard]

To really be able to tell what it is that is causing this you have to understand what a ground fault circuit interupter does. It trips if it senses a ground fault. It does this by comparing the hot current to the neutral current. Any time there is more on the hot than the neutral, it trips. It takes about 1/40th of a second, so like 1 and a half cicles of that wave to do so, and it only takes once. So, something is causing an imbalance, or you have a bad outlet.
There is definitely a problem if you had something plugged in and it tripped, removed something and now it doesn't. Start adding things back on one at a time until you figure out which specific piece of equipment (or the power strip itself) is causing the fault and either replace or repair it.
If that does not point to a specific piece of equipment, replace the outlet. They do go bad over time occasionally, especially if they have been tripped quite a few times.

 

[Spieg]

Could be the outlet (I much prefer a GFCI breaker rather than a GFCI outlet... breakers are just less prone to failure than the outlets).
Did you try unplugging everything from the power strips and then plugging one thing at a time to see if one of them trips the GFCI?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You are not required to have your fish tank on a gfci, unless you like phantom trips when your gone......I the nec (national electric code) there is no sections on fish tanks because they are not usually a permanent install to a home .....do yourself a favor get rid of gfcis and make sure your water and electricity are separated good....this gfci on tanks thing is crazy ask a real electrician ....

 

[theMeat]

You are not required to have your fish tank on a gfci, unless you like phantom trips when your gone......I the nec (national electric code) there is no sections on fish tanks because they are not usually a permanent install to a home .....do yourself a favor get rid of gfcis and make sure your water and electricity are separated good....this gfci on tanks thing is crazy ask a real electrician ....

Not sure why you’d wake up an old thread to give bad advice. NEC requires gfci protection if within 6 feet of water. Even if your outlet is further away from tank than 6 feet, some of your equipment is in contact with water. If your gfci is tripping there is a problem you’re being protected from, or the gfci or or related wiring is faulty

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Not sure why you’d wake up an old thread to give bad advice. NEC requires gfci protection if within 6 feet of water. Even if your outlet is further away from tank than 6 feet, some of your equipment is in contact with water. If your gfci is tripping there is a problem you’re being protected from, or the gfci or or related wiring is faulty

You show me fish tanks in nec the only place gfci is required is near water as you say but fish tanks are not in there buddy ill bet you money! But yes thats why

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Not sure why you’d wake up an old thread to give bad advice. NEC requires gfci protection if within 6 feet of water. Even if your outlet is further away from tank than 6 feet, some of your equipment is in contact with water. If your gfci is tripping there is a problem you’re being protected from, or the gfci or or related wiring is faulty

I explained the permanent install its ok if you don't understand, but don't accuse me of giving bad advice, just to dloe out a bunch yourself

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Not sure why you’d wake up an old thread to give bad advice. NEC requires gfci protection if within 6 feet of water. Even if your outlet is further away from tank than 6 feet, some of your equipment is in contact with water. If your gfci is tripping there is a problem you’re being protected from, or the gfci or or related wiring is faulty

If you like to tell me what section your looking in id love to take a picture of it so everyone can see it! My book is tabbed so I should be able to find it pretty quick!


B4 you say something Florida and most states are still in 2014 nec..but you know that...

Sorry I'm wrong about that now its the 2020 book but the changes are probably not noticeable and they just started using the 2020 book in December just before that it was 2017..but the differences in versions are almost always legal jargon not actual equipment installs, especially gfci's nothing has changed on those, and they definitly didn't add in home aquariums (non permanent) sorry about that small tid bit of bad advice on nec versions..

 

[CanuckReefer]

You are not required to have your fish tank on a gfci, unless you like phantom trips when your gone......I the nec (national electric code) there is no sections on fish tanks because they are not usually a permanent install to a home .....do yourself a favor get rid of gfcis and make sure your water and electricity are separated good....this gfci on tanks thing is crazy ask a real electrician ....

No you aren't required, but this 'real' Master Electrician thinks you're way off. 'Make sure your water and electricity are separated good' ???? Lol... A potential faulty pump, heaters etc submerged in a fantastic conductor like salt water? Have fun...yikes.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

No you aren't required, but this 'real' Master Electrician thinks you're way off. 'Make sure your water and electricity are separated good' ???? Lol... A potential faulty pump, heaters etc submerged in a fantastic conductor like salt water? Have fun...yikes.

? Not sure what you mean but when I say separation this is what I mean. I have all my recepticals in a seperat cabinet not near or under the tank....but not sure why that needs to be explained...