severe weather popping gfc

Mandrake · May 20, 2019

so we’re having some thunder and lightning and my gfc outlet for my metal halide /T5 lights on my tank is popping , also has my apex on it. I just unplugged it till the storm blows over. This happen to anyone else ?

Mjrenz · May 20, 2019

It could be the storm, you could have a faulty piece of equipment or the gfci could be bad. I personally don't use a gfci because they are prone to nuisance trips and I don't want my tank shutting down when I'm not home if I can help it

jda · May 20, 2019

I don't run my MH on GFCI... or return pumps. This is some of the reason why... but I also don't need a fish fart type of wisp of dew shutting my tank down... I just want them to run.

I do run less critical stuff on a GFCI, just not all of it.

sghera64 · May 20, 2019

Mandrake said:
so we’re having some thunder and lightning and my gfc outlet for my metal halide /T5 lights on my tank is popping , also has my apex on it. I just unplugged it till the storm blows over. This happen to anyone else ?

Do you notice lights flickering in the house during the storm coinciding with the GFCI trips?

Mandrake · May 20, 2019

Mandrake said:
so we’re having some thunder and lightning and my gfc outlet for my metal halide /T5 lights on my tank is popping , also has my apex on it. I just unplugged it till the storm blows over. This happen to anyone else ?

sghera64 said:
Do you notice lights flickering in the house during the storm coinciding with the GFCI trips?

yes ,the lights in the house flickered, also my frag tank which is lit with LEDS didn’t have a problem

Mandrake · May 20, 2019

No problems with any pumps either

tehmadreefer · May 20, 2019

Happens to my t5's. It is an issue with them for sure. I live in Florida, the lightning capital of the us. So now I have the lights on their own gfci and the return pump plugged straight into an outlet. As it was a major issue and my whole system would shut down. I am getting a a whole home surge protector installed for this years stormy season.

tehmadreefer · May 20, 2019

Also it has been confirmed by ati I believe, that t5's are designed to shut down with very small irregularities. If you do some good digging around online you will be able to find this info.

sghera64 · May 20, 2019

Mandrake said:
yes ,the lights in the house flickered, also my frag tank which is lit with LEDS didn’t have a problem

GFCI work by counting the number of electrons that come into the circuit and leave the circuit. The numbers need to be approximately equal. If the numbers coming in begin to exceed the number of electrons leaving the GFCI assumes that there is a ground fault (electrons leaving the circuit through a ground connection such as a person connected to ground).

So, sometimes when the power drops a little it can mess around with the GCFI’s ability to keep track of electrons coming and going and thus resulting in a false trip.

I had four of them in my fish room at one time. One of them would make false trips whenever the power flickered (which was sometimes on very hot sunny days). I simply replaced it with a new GFCI switch and the problem was solved. None of the other three GFCI’s experienced false trips during the power dips.

I suggest you simply replace the faulty switch with a new one.

HB AL · May 20, 2019

Luckily here on the beach in SoCal we see one t storm a year. Only thing I think of once in a while is a really big quake with the epicenter right below on the Newport/Inglewood fault, runs right under my house in HB.

alton · May 21, 2019

sghera64 said:
GFCI work by counting the number of electrons that come into the circuit and leave the circuit. The numbers need to be approximately equal. If the numbers coming in begin to exceed the number of electrons leaving the GFCI assumes that there is a ground fault (electrons leaving the circuit through a ground connection such as a person connected to ground).

So, sometimes when the power drops a little it can mess around with the GCFI’s ability to keep track of electrons coming and going and thus resulting in a false trip.

I had four of them in my fish room at one time. One of them would make false trips whenever the power flickered (which was sometimes on very hot sunny days). I simply replaced it with a new GFCI switch and the problem was solved. None of the other three GFCI’s experienced false trips during the power dips.

I suggest you simply replace the faulty switch with a new one.

Although I like your answer, I am curious why you used electrons instead of milli-amps? Since there are 6250000000000000 Electrons in a milli-amp. And GFCI receptacles trip at 4-6 milli-amps.
And sorry I may be off in my math?
Definitely agree just replace the receptacle