I'm putting in new wiring in my brand new pole barn (YIPPEEE!) and I am running off a square D box. I have done wiring in the past, but am no expert. HOwever, I have a simple circuit that runs from the box, to a switch, adn then to some overhead porceline bulb boxes.

I am using 14-2 wire w/ground. When I connect the circuit WITH the ground, the circuit breaker pops off. If I leave the ground un-connected, the lights work fine.

Could I possilby have a cut in my wire somewhere that would be shorting the ground?

I'm concerned that I cannot connect hte ground like I have in the other circuits that are in use of this box. I'm sure I've done something wrong here.

Any help is appreciated!

Kirk

 

Yea, maybe you have a short in the cable. But unless you treated that cable very roughly, it's more likely you have a short in a box (did you repack the wiring in the boxes neatly? perhaps the ground wire is touching a hot screw). Or perhaps you connected a grounding wire to the wrong thing (only connect to other grounding wires, metal boxes, and green screws). Is there a GFCI involved? Maybe you just have a ground fault.

I'm sure you've done something wrong too. From the information you've presented so far, I don't see it yet.

Divide and conquer. Start at the end of the circuit and disconnect one thing at a time back towards the panel until it stops tripping.