Ride the Lightning
Member
- Location
- danbury, ct.
Hello. I have an extremely unusual situation occurring in a recently wired building and I'm at my wits end with trying to figure this out.
It is a 400A 3phase jawed meter UG service supplying power to a coffee joint. The facility was up and running flawlessly for 2 months, then I started getting calls saying multiple GFI circuits would trip simultaneously. SO on our first response call looking into this, as we were standing there, the main 400A breaker turned itself off. It did not trip, it simply turned off. Upon calling Square D and them reassuring me it cannot happen, I've since changed that main breaker 3 times as each one did the same thing.
I had also received authorization to remove all GFI circuit breakers and only install GFI receptacles where they were necessary/required by code. And I still have the same issue where, while the building is up and running, multiple 120v/208v circuit breakers (normal CB's not GFI CB's) will trip simultaneously followed by the main a short while later will simply again turn itself off. Please note all the branch 120v circuits were installed with separate neutrals. There is also no rhyme or reason to when these trips happen. Not one specific piece of equipment that turns on or off will cause this, so trying to time when it happens is impossible. It can be fine for 12 hours or it can be fine for 10 minutes.
I have recorded amperage/voltages prior to these outages and have determined no power spikes/surges of any kind. The utility company has been out 3 different times to test their side and has assured me everything on their end is correct. My next step is to tear this building apart completely, but before I do, I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone who has had something similar. Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
It is a 400A 3phase jawed meter UG service supplying power to a coffee joint. The facility was up and running flawlessly for 2 months, then I started getting calls saying multiple GFI circuits would trip simultaneously. SO on our first response call looking into this, as we were standing there, the main 400A breaker turned itself off. It did not trip, it simply turned off. Upon calling Square D and them reassuring me it cannot happen, I've since changed that main breaker 3 times as each one did the same thing.
I had also received authorization to remove all GFI circuit breakers and only install GFI receptacles where they were necessary/required by code. And I still have the same issue where, while the building is up and running, multiple 120v/208v circuit breakers (normal CB's not GFI CB's) will trip simultaneously followed by the main a short while later will simply again turn itself off. Please note all the branch 120v circuits were installed with separate neutrals. There is also no rhyme or reason to when these trips happen. Not one specific piece of equipment that turns on or off will cause this, so trying to time when it happens is impossible. It can be fine for 12 hours or it can be fine for 10 minutes.
I have recorded amperage/voltages prior to these outages and have determined no power spikes/surges of any kind. The utility company has been out 3 different times to test their side and has assured me everything on their end is correct. My next step is to tear this building apart completely, but before I do, I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone who has had something similar. Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
