GFI tripping

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sparkync

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North Carolina
I have had to pull a new underground UF cable, to a "sign light" that was damaged underground somewhere. It was fed previously from another junction box for "flagpole" lighting. I had to run the new feed, straight from the electrical panel on the wall for "main entrance" to this project. There is a photo cell on the side of the panel and I installed a "GFCI" outlet under the panel, where there was just a regular outlet. I tried tying everything on the load side of the GFI, but it won't hold. I fed the "line side" hot of the "GFCI" from the breaker, then the "load side" hot I fed to the photo cell, and the "hot" wires to the flag pole light and the sign light, went to the red wire coming off the photo cell. I tied the "load neutral" off the GFCI, to the neutral on the photo cell. I first tied the "neutrals" to the flagpole light and sign light, with this same neutral, but it would not hold, so I ran a "separate" neutral, up to the neutral bar for the flagpole light and sign light. It still would not hold. I'm not sure whether the neutral connections are causing this, or if maybe there is a problem with the existing wire underground. It works alright when I hook it up without the GFCI. If you can understand my description, do you have any ideas? The circuit really needs to be on the GFCI, because of "depth" of the wire, etc.. The only other thing I can think of, is just feed the photo cell hot before I go through the GFCI outlet, and go to the "line side" of the outlet from the photo cell. Haven't tried it this way. I was thinking the photo cell needed to go through the GFCI, but maybe not. Thanks for your input.
 
Tom, you beat me to it. Tho I would lose the photocell first, and check the cable without the fixture connected. If the GFCI holds add the fixture and see if the fixture is good. Then add the photocell back in....... If things done hold. lose the cable and fixture, test photocell with a pigtail socket and 200 W lightbulb.

I ran into something similar once with a bug zapper on a photocell, and it was the inductive kick from the transformer that was tripping the GFCI when it turned off....... Added a .047 uFD capacitor across the zapper and no more problems.


Howard
 
This has been reported before related to a photocell and GFCI intereaction not working. Ending up being a faulty photocell.

This GFCI, is it new to the system that prior had none?
The photcell, is it new or one that was already there?
Lighting fixture, New or Existing?

Toms Diagnostic tips good.

Have seen where using UF or NM that has a bare ground accidental N/G contact when pusing the device into the enclosure, that would trip the GFCI imediatly on energizing. Even with no load. Was a little difficult to find because as soon as the devise pulled back out the wire would move away so at first wasn't apparent, until slowly reseating the devise while watching the wire movement to see the N/G come ointo contact.
 
The photo cell was there prior to any work I done. GFCI was not there originally, but should have been. Lights work alright without being on GFCI. I will probably try to go back out and retest one thing at a time as advised. One thing that makes it hard is, that the wires coming into the panel are packed on the side of the photo cell and GFCI outlet, and the panel is hot of course, with no Main to kill the power except pull the meter. Things are "tight". Don't want to have "sparks" on the main lug, especially with no Main breaker ahead of it:( It is just a 6 or 8 circuit panel. Really tight around the grounds and neutrals going up to the ground bar, past one of the main lugs. :(
Thanks for the input.
 
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