shed wiring problem


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Old 11-16-04, 07:00 PM
U
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Question shed wiring problem

I have a shed about 60’ from the house. It is fed from the house panel 20Amp breaker. The previous house owner ran underground wire ( I think it is 12-3) without conduit. The feeder runs to the GFCI “LINE” terminals on the outside wall on the shed in a sealed box, and then the “LOAD” wires run inside thru the wall to the 3-switch/1-outlet box. The switches control inside lights and outside flood lights, no tools or workshop.
Some time ago my lights quit working, but I did not get around them, thought just the bulbs burned.
Last week I was tilling along the house and dug up the cable. I did not cut it, just slightly damaged the insulation and exposed the cooper strand about 2” long. So, I taped the cable and buried it back (it is about 2” deep). It runs without conduit and I am not sure if it is an UF or ROMEX (I know, ROMEX is a big no-no, but I bought the house like that and it has been working for years.)
O.K., so I decided to get the lights fixed, changed all bulbs: nothing. Next, I tested the power outlets inside the shed and in the GFCI: nothing. I put a meter on the LINE terminals: about 46V between Hot and Neutral, 76V between Neutr. And Ground and 122V between Hot and Ground. I disconnected GFCI and got 122V between Hot and Neutral strands (so, the cable itself looks O.K., or does it?) I then put a new GFCI: now I am getting about 60V Hot-Neutral, 60V Neutr./Ground and 122V Hot/Ground. At this time the “LOAD” is disconnected and GFCI is wired like there is no “LOAD” at all, according to its manual. Obviously, GFCI power outlet is dead. I also tried to TEST, and then RESET: the RESET button would not stay IN, it pops out.
Next, I replaced my panel 20A breaker (thought, it may be weak): nothing.
What do I do next? Do the symptoms point to an obvious (not to me) problem? I can dig out that foot or so of damaged wire and splice it better (how?). I hate to have to run a new wire since everything worked just fine, even though perhaps not to the code (do not tell anybody…)
Thanks for the professional help.
 
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Old 11-16-04, 07:42 PM
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The cable is not okay. You might be able to fix it with a UF splice kit (or two), or you might need to run a new one.

Don't attach any importance at all to those voltage readings you got. They are misleading and meaningless.

But if the GFCI trips, it has to be something wrong at the GFCI or downstream (i.e., in the shed). It's downstream from the buried cable, so it's not affected by faults in the cable itself.
 
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Old 11-17-04, 04:59 AM
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John,
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes, I figured that the voltage readings are confusing. But you are saying that if the GFCI trips, the problem is downstream in the shed. Well, I am testing it with NO downstream load: I disconnected the shed wiring from the GFCI LOAD terminals now. And it does not trip, the RESET button just would not stay ON at all, always out.
Somebody suggested that I am having a Neutral problem in the feeder wire, does it make sence?
And what is that UF splicing kit?
BTW, when I trip my bathroom GFCI, I get no voltage reading in the outlet at all, just as I expected and unlike in the shed. Those flying electrones...
 
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Old 11-17-04, 06:36 AM
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If nothing is connected to the load side of the GFCI, and nothing is plugged into it, then the GFCI is bad. Buy another one. While you're at the store, ask to see a UF splice kit. It's about ten bucks.
 
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Old 11-17-04, 09:09 AM
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it is about 2” deep
Yikes! That's 22" too shallow. Don't repair it. Replace it and do it right this time.
 
 

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