Circuit Tester is tripping breaker...
#1
05-01-16, 05:41 PM
Join Date: May 2016
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Circuit Tester is tripping breaker...
Hello All,
Just yesterday I added an outlet to my bedroom for behind my tv and supplied power to it by tapping into an outlet directly underneath it. Its a 15 amp circuit and I installed a 15 amp surge protected outlet using 14/2 romex. Black wire is on the brass screw, white wire is on the silver screw and ground wire is on the green screw. Both outlets power just fine. With my multimeter I'm measuring 120.5 between the Hot-Neutral, 120.5 between Hot-Ground, and 0.00 between Neutral-Ground on both outlets. After I was done wiring I tested with a circuit tester and it trips the breaker on the circuit, but not when I plug a fan or tv or anything else. I tested the circuit tester on a different circuit and it reads that it is wired correctly. Why would this be happening?
Just yesterday I added an outlet to my bedroom for behind my tv and supplied power to it by tapping into an outlet directly underneath it. Its a 15 amp circuit and I installed a 15 amp surge protected outlet using 14/2 romex. Black wire is on the brass screw, white wire is on the silver screw and ground wire is on the green screw. Both outlets power just fine. With my multimeter I'm measuring 120.5 between the Hot-Neutral, 120.5 between Hot-Ground, and 0.00 between Neutral-Ground on both outlets. After I was done wiring I tested with a circuit tester and it trips the breaker on the circuit, but not when I plug a fan or tv or anything else. I tested the circuit tester on a different circuit and it reads that it is wired correctly. Why would this be happening?
#2
05-01-16, 05:49 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
That new receptacle appears to be on a GFI circuit breaker. Your meter when connected from hot to ground appears as low level leakage..... ground fault..... to the circuit breaker and it trips.
That circuit breaker should have a yellow test button on it signifying a GFI type breaker.
That new receptacle appears to be on a GFI circuit breaker. Your meter when connected from hot to ground appears as low level leakage..... ground fault..... to the circuit breaker and it trips.
That circuit breaker should have a yellow test button on it signifying a GFI type breaker.
#4
05-01-16, 05:56 PM
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The breaker at the panel does have a "test" button on it, and when I just pressed it it tripped the breaker. Does that mean ground fault? When I tapped into the new outlet i used a wire nut to combine the two grounds from the romex and a lead that attaches to the outlet.
#6
05-01-16, 05:59 PM
Group Moderator
Your wiring is ok. You actually tested the GFI by using the tester. You're ok there. 
Ray and I are tag teaming tonight
Ray and I are tag teaming tonight
#7
05-01-16, 06:03 PM
Join Date: May 2016
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Awesome, it was my first electrical project, tried to do as much research as possible, but it just freaked me a little bit. Thanks for the feedback!
#9
05-01-16, 11:21 PM
The purpose of the test button is to fake a ground fault. It simulates a human being connected between the live conductors and the equipment ground. The GFCI should respond to this by tripping off the circuit.
Something is wrong if the GFCI does NOT trip when the test button is pressed. If that is the result, then the equipment ground is open, the GFCI (or AFCI) is bad, or the circuit does not have GFCI/AFCI protection.
Something is wrong if the GFCI does NOT trip when the test button is pressed. If that is the result, then the equipment ground is open, the GFCI (or AFCI) is bad, or the circuit does not have GFCI/AFCI protection.
#10
05-02-16, 03:36 AM
It doesn't simulate a human being, it just induces a differential between the hot and neutral causing a trip. The OP was testing the circuit not knowing he had either a GFCI or AFCI breaker, which tripped as it should under test conditions.
