Christmas lights/ GFCI receptacle trips

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nizak

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Any idea where to start looking for a problem with GFCI receptacles tripping when a photo cell controlled contactor comes on?
 
Cords connected laying on the ground without any protection to keep water from entering those connections?
 
Length of cord between the GFCI device and the lights. Too much cable means the return current takes too long to “return” to the GFCI and it trips.
 
OldSparks said:
Length of cord between the GFCI device and the lights. Too much cable means the return current takes too long to “return” to the GFCI and it trips.
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Not really.
What is much more likely is that stray capacitance between the hot wire and earth ground is causing some current to flow out that does not return through the neutral wire.
That trips the GFCI.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
How many strings of lights are being controlled by the contactor ? If several, I would start by connecting one string of lights at a time. Chances are one of the sets has a GFI problem and it might just show up when you plug it in.
 
ptonsparky said:
Lay a two wire GFCI protect cord in the grass, plug another into it and continue on to several snowflakes or Angels in the yard. Run the sprinklers on it or wait for a heavy foggy, maybe drizzling day. Let me know how things turn out.
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Everyone has there own opinion and I'm just stating mine from past experience with our Christmas decorations. What does surprise me is you jumping all over my reply. Hope you have a good day :thumbsup:
 
GMc said:
Everyone has there own opinion and I'm just stating mine from past experience with our Christmas decorations. What does surprise me is you jumping all over my reply. Hope you have a good day :thumbsup:
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I didn’t mean to jump, and was replying from dealings with customers. The two wire indoor rated cords my wife stretches to her decorations seem to work fine, much to my consternation.
 
OldSparks said:
Length of cord between the GFCI device and the lights. Too much cable means the return current takes too long to “return” to the GFCI and it trips.
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Coppersmith said:
Seriously? Is the GFCI waiting for the same electrons to come back?
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Well maybe not same electrons, but is essentially looking for same quantity that leaves on one conductor to return at same time on the other conductor.

GMc said:
Everyone has there own opinion and I'm just stating mine from past experience with our Christmas decorations. What does surprise me is you jumping all over my reply. Hope you have a good day :thumbsup:
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Having an EGC in your supply may improve return path characteristics in some instances - but the principle on how GFCI's operate does not require an EGC to function - any leakage to outside the monitored circuit that is over the trip setting will cause them to trip. Since class A GFCI's trip over 4-6 mA it is easy to leak that low of current to ground when you have 120+ volts driving it, especially in wet or damp locations.
 
kwired said:
Having an EGC in your supply may improve return path characteristics in some instances - but the principle on how GFCI's operate does not require an EGC to function - any leakage to outside the monitored circuit that is over the trip setting will cause them to trip. Since class A GFCI's trip over 4-6 mA it is easy to leak that low of current to ground when you have 120+ volts driving it, especially in wet or damp locations.
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Yes, I know the principle on how a GFCI works, thanks for wanting to help me. Having the EGC greatly improves the chances for the GFCI to trip.

What do you say we all get back to trying to help the OP instead of trying to correct what everyone else has to say? :thumbsup:
 
GMc said:
Yes, I know the principle on how a GFCI works, thanks for wanting to help me. Having the EGC greatly improves the chances for the GFCI to trip.

What do you say we all get back to trying to help the OP instead of trying to correct what everyone else has to say? :thumbsup:
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OP could have a cord (with or without EGC) laying in puddle of water, damp foliage, etc that has conductor exposed and that can be where enough leakage is occurring to trip GFCI. That is just one of many possibilities. First reply asking if lights are plugged in is a good place to start.
 
kwired said:
OP could have a cord (with or without EGC) laying in puddle of water, damp foliage, etc that has conductor exposed and that can be where enough leakage is occurring to trip GFCI. That is just one of many possibilities. First reply asking if lights are plugged in is a good place to start.
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Yep, and since he hasn't responded since original post it's anybody's guess
 
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