GFCI tripping when opening a switch

[Natfuelbilll]

In my home, when I open a switch to turn off a cheap Home Depot fluorescent strip light, the supplying GFCI will trip open.

If I remove the lamp (as a test) the GFCI will trip.

Ballast going bad?

 

[gar]

091102-0530 EST

Define the make, model, and year of manufacture of the GFCI.

Your description is similar to another thread. I have run limited experiments on a Leviton unit of recent manufacture and have not been able to cause a transient voltage trip. The occurrence of tripping when power to the load is turned off is potentially significant in relation to the cause.

.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

In my home, when I open a switch to turn off a cheap Home Depot fluorescent strip light, the supplying GFCI will trip open.

If I remove the lamp (as a test) the GFCI will trip.

Ballast going bad?

Why is a flourescent light being GFI'd? just curious

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Is this a single pole or 3 way application? I can't see why a sp application would do this but I could speculate why it could happen on a 3 way.

 

[gndrod]

Why is a flourescent light being GFI'd? just curious

Good point. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry GFCI bc with lighting is a NEC violation to start with. Outside and garage lighting would generally be ahead/parallel of the GFCI and not be affected. rbj

 

[Awg-Dawg]

Why is a flourescent light being GFI'd? just curious

I recall having to do it in a church. It was a lighted cross above a baptismal pool.

 

[Natfuelbilll]

sss (sorry slow slow) getting back to you all.

The GFCI is a 20A leviton 22381-M185 (or -N185).

The switch and light are supplied by the gfci.

i can't find what section shows this as a violation.

Is it listed as a Uses not Permitted?

 

[1793]

sss (sorry slow slow) getting back to you all.

The GFCI is a 20A leviton 22381-M185 (or -N185).

The switch and light are supplied by the gfci.

i can't find what section shows this as a violation.

Is it listed as a Uses not Permitted?

I think the question is Why is this GFI protected?

What is the application of the light, luminaire?

 

[gndrod]

sss (sorry slow slow) getting back to you all.

The GFCI is a 20A leviton 22381-M185 (or -N185).

The switch and light are supplied by the gfci.

i can't find what section shows this as a violation.

Is it listed as a Uses not Permitted?

210.11(C) 1,2,& 3 and 210.23(A) ex.

 

[gar]

091103-1936 EST

Natfuelbilll:

Do you have any other number for for the Leviton GFCI?

An Internet search found nothing, whereas 7899 which is the device I have tested, is easily found.

What year was your GFCI made?

.

 

[tom baker]

Good point. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry GFCI bc with lighting is a NEC violation to start with. rbj

What section prohibts this?

 

[gndrod]

What section prohibts this?

Hi Tom, See Post #9. rbj

 

[CallMeJC]

Somewhere along the line this light was assumed to be on a small appliance circuit, laundry circuit or bathroom circuit, and that would be an issue [ except for 210.11 (C) 3 ex ]. However that wasn't stated in the original post. Is there anywhere in the code that would not allow a light fixture to be supplied by a GFCI?

 

[LarryFine]

Kitchen, bathroom, laundry GFCI bc with lighting is a NEC violation to start with.

What section prohibts this?

Hi Tom, See Post #9. rbj

There's a difference between lighting not being allowed on certain circuits, and not being allowed on a GFCI-protected circuit at all.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Somewhere along the line this light was assumed to be on a small appliance circuit, laundry circuit or bathroom circuit, and that would be an issue [ except for 210.11 (C) 3 ex ]. However that wasn't stated in the original post. Is there anywhere in the code that would not allow a light fixture to be supplied by a GFCI?[/QUOTE]



You're asking the wrong question. The answer to the question you just asked is Yes, 620.24 (a),,,,,,this odviously does not apply to your situation. AS LARRY stated,,,,your question leaves lots of room for error and you are not asking the right questions. We already asked you....why is this GFI'd?? What reason do you have for installing the light on the load side of a GFI? Please tell

 

[gndrod]

Somewhere along the line this light was assumed to be on a small appliance circuit, laundry circuit or bathroom circuit, and that would be an issue [ except for 210.11 (C) 3 ex ]. However that wasn't stated in the original post. Is there anywhere in the code that would not allow a light fixture to be supplied by a GFCI?

The general comment in my post was only the mention of locations a GFCI would be normally located, three of which would be areas of non-compliance and two areas (garage and outside) where a BC wired ahead of GFCI's could resolve the problem. There was no intention of forcasting where the op was having this problem.

It would have been nice if the op would have indicated where the GFCI-lighting was located as Mc Clary and I have requestd at least twice in this discussion. My apology for injecting confusion by my mind reading attempt. Looking forward to an answer so a more straight forward answer can be suggested. rbj

 

[CallMeJC]

You're asking the wrong question. The answer to the question you just asked is Yes, 620.24 (a),,,,,,this odviously does not apply to your situation. AS LARRY stated,,,,your question leaves lots of room for error and you are not asking the right questions. We already asked you....why is this GFI'd?? What reason do you have for installing the light on the load side of a GFI? Please tell

Just for clarification I'm not the original poster, it is not "my situation", or "my question". You may want to direct your questioning to Natfuelbilll who started this thread.

 

[gndrod]

GFCI....where?

GFCI....where?

sss (sorry slow slow) getting back to you all.

Hi Natfuelbilll.....are you still with us? rbj

 

[Natfuelbilll]

The light is not in a bathroom or laundry and is not in an elevator pit.
The light is installed in a basement. The metal housing is easily reached. The light and switch are powered from the load side of the gfci.

The intention of this connection is to provide a greater level of safety than the Code demands as a minimum.

Consider the Question in a more technical light. Why would the gfci trip on opening of the switch?

 

[Bryan Ferguson]

Is it a finished basement, gfi is not required in finished basements, maybe having a flourescent fixture is not the right choice for your application, is it possible the ballast(even if in perfect working condition) is causing enough of an unbalanced load to trip the gfci? Just a thought.