Subpanel and GFI issue

[kmalone]

I installed a new subpanel. The feed from the main (8-3 AWG UF) is on a double pole 30 Amp GFCI breaker at the main panel. The subpanel has two seperate 15 amp circuits protected by two 15 amp GFCI breakers (I know overkill) in the subpanel. I had one circuit on at the subpanel breaker and one circuit turned off at the subpanel breaker while I was installing a light fixture on the deenergized circuit. While I was installing the light I touched wires together and the GFCI breaker in the Main tripped. How is this possible if the circuit I was working on was off at the subpanel?

Thanks for ideas
Kevin

 

[iwire]

Bad idea to put a GFCI main in place

The most likely reason the main triped was due too current flow on the neutral.

That tripping is just one of the reasons the GFCI main is a bad idea.

That said ....


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