extra power


  #1  
Old 12-03-00, 06:04 PM
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How do I get additional power to accomodate the christmas lighting in my yard and on my house. I'm finding that the gfi is tripping too easily...is that a sign of another problem?
Still, I would like to know how to have enough power to light up the whole home outside.

[Edited by palley on 12-04-00 at 09:19]
 
  #2  
Old 12-03-00, 06:37 PM
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Palley
The fact that the GFCI Recptacle is tripping indicates that the device is working properly. Most GFCI Recp. that are installed in a residence are 15 amp at the recp. (even if they are on a 20 amp circuit).which means that they allow a max. of 15 amps on anything plugged into them, but will allow 20 amps to pass through them(a recp. that is proteceted by the GFCI may draw 20 amps before the GFCI will trip).You should check the circuit breaker size as well as the wire size to determine what ampacity the circuit has or can safely carry(15 amp breaker,#14 guage wire = 15 amp max circuit)(20 amp brk.,#12 g wire=20 amp circuit).If you have a 20 amp circuit,you can purchase a commercial grade GFCI Recp.for less than 12 bucks which will allow 20 amps at the recp. as well as through itthus you would be able to draw 5 additional amps before it trips.
The fact that the recp trips and not the breaker indicates the circuit is not overloaded. You could find an adittional Recp (perhaps in the garage or carport That is on a seperate circuit,run another drop cord to part of the lights.Caution:Make sure that any drop cord used is of correct size and that it is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet. Home Depot has GFCI protected outlets made into
Short cords designed expressly for outdoor/christmas lighting.
 
  #3  
Old 12-03-00, 09:25 PM
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GFI tripping...good.

Palley,

A GFI tripping could mean one of two things--
1) The GFI is working correctly, and there's a ground fault in the lighting. That means that a little bit of current (like 6 milliamps or more) is leaking out of the circuit somewhere. Could be a bulb broken, loose, or missing from a socket or a break in the wire insulation, with dirty snow or water providing a path to the earth.
2) The GFI is kaput. Sometimes the cheap ones go bad for no reason at all and nuisance trip. Sometimes a heavy load (like a portable air compressor) on a GFI will fry it, and it will repeatedly trip, and eventually not reset at all. I see this at construction sites where the framers/trim carps run pancake or hotdog compressors that draw 17 amps. Cycling on all day long, the starting current just fries the GFI. Literally. Don't know if your GFI has seen these types of loads, but it's possible.

My suggestion is, replace the GFI with a high quality one ($9-10 bucks). If it repeatedly trips, figure out how much of a load you've got on it. If it's over 16 amps, take sr's suggestion and pull power from another circuit to spread the load out over two circuits. If the load's OK, and the new one trips, look for a ground fault in a light string. Use an extension cord to bypass each string, one at a time; hopefully, it will be a problem with only one string (at the socket or a wire with cut or frayed insulation--it doesn't take much to leak 6mA). Replace the bad string and you're in business.

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays and good luck.

 
  #4  
Old 12-04-00, 12:23 PM
Wgoodrich
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GFI'S do not care how much power is passing through itself, either at that GFI or on the load after the GFI. The GFI will provide power to a clean load until that GFI burns up.

A GFI only cares about leakage. In generic terms and in severe laymen's terms. The GFI is like a little man that is monitoring the voltage on the black, white, and bare. The imaginary little man inside the GFI pays close attention to the bare or green grounding conductor. If ANY voltage appears on the bare exceeding 5 milliamps then that little man shuts the power off of that circuit.

I know that the white and the bare wires are connected to the same ground bar in the main service, but even if the white touches the bare anywhere in that branch circuit the voltage on the bare will be recognized and kick the GFI control.

I suspect your real problem with your outside xmas lighting is that you are not using a xmas lighting string designed to be used outside. This can cause a fire hazard when moisture leaks into that lighting socket and cause an overload of that light xmas light string conductor. I strongly suggest you use weather proof xmas lighting strings. These xmas lights should also have a fuse built into the male plug found on each individual xmas lighting string. Then you will have a safe xmas.

Your GFI is doing its job. If you lit up the whole house and yard you most likely wouldn't overload a 20 amp circuit breaker if no leakage of voltage is present.

You probably light up your whole house if sized around 2000 square feet inside, for general lighting with less than 30 amps worth of load. Your total general lighting load would probably not exceed 50 amps including everything in the house with the exception or laundry, kitchen, bath rooms receptacles, and appliances.

As per the NEC requirements, I suggest you change your xmas lighting to weatherproof xmas lighting if found outside.

Good luck

Wg
 
  #5  
Old 12-04-00, 12:41 PM
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Thumbs up

Thanks to you all for responding. I must have a short somewhere..and I will recheck the strings and /or replace them.

Have a safe Holiday...
 
 

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