If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by Andrew Chalk on June 19, 2005, 6:59 pm
I had a contrator put in a BBQ area and pergola for me. A couple of weeks
ago the lights stopped working. The contractor sent the electrician who did
the original electrical installation to fix it. He pressed the GFCI button
and the lights work again. I asked him what the cause of the GFCI resetting
and he said "they do that". I think it was just a symptom of another
problem, possibly related to the heavy rain that we have had recently (as is
usual in Texas).
Is GFCI designed to spontaneously reset? If not, what is the cause of this?
Thanks!
|
|
Posted by Rich Greenberg on June 19, 2005, 7:04 pm
>I had a contrator put in a BBQ area and pergola for me. A couple of weeks
>ago the lights stopped working. The contractor sent the electrician who did
>the original electrical installation to fix it. He pressed the GFCI button
>and the lights work again. I asked him what the cause of the GFCI resetting
>and he said "they do that". I think it was just a symptom of another
>problem, possibly related to the heavy rain that we have had recently (as is
>usual in Texas).
>
>Is GFCI designed to spontaneously reset? If not, what is the cause of this?
No, they reset when you push the reset button. They will trip if water
gets into the wireing.
--
Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L
|
|
Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on June 19, 2005, 7:05 pm
>
> Is GFCI designed to spontaneously reset? If not, what is the cause of
> this?
>
> Thanks!
Sometimes they do that.
Could have even been excessive moisture from the rains.
|
|
Posted by Pop on June 19, 2005, 8:07 pm
>
> wrote in message
>>
>> Is GFCI designed to spontaneously reset? If not,
>> what is the cause of this?
>>
>> Thanks!
>
> Sometimes they do that.
>
> Could have even been excessive moisture from the
> rains.
>
Umm, no, they do NOT do that "sometimes" if everything
is installed correctly. Sorry, don't mean to sound
confrontational, but a GFCI tripping is an indication
that something went wrong whether it was water or
whatever that caused it to trip. They don't "just do
that" for no reason. They would be useless in such a
case.
Since this is a new installation, and assuming the user
did nothing to cause the problem, that electrician
needs to check out his work, or possibly an inspector.
It does make sense that it was posibly water getting
in somewhere, but it shouldn't have done so. "They do
that" is an unacceptable resonse from the electrician.
It's quite likely that if you don't call him on it
now, you may well be calling him later, like after he
won't warranty the work any longer due to time.
Even if he says there's nothign he can do, by
submitting a complaint, he's been put on notice so that
when the problem IS aboe to be solved, he'll still be
responsible for doing so.
And actually, if he's worth his salt, there is
something he can do.
HTH,
PopS
|
|
Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on June 19, 2005, 9:35 pm
>>
> Umm, no, they do NOT do that "sometimes" if everything is installed
> correctly. Sorry, don't mean to sound confrontational, but a GFCI
> tripping is an indication that something went wrong whether it was water
> or whatever that caused it to trip. They don't "just do that" for no
> reason. They would be useless in such a case.
As I pointed out. Sure, there was a reason, but the conditions may have
changed ten minutes later and the real cause is never found. Excessive
moisture across a plug can do it. That means it is working as it should.
|
Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 > last >>
| Similar Threads | Posted | | GFCI outlets required with a GFCI Breaker? | July 15, 2008, 3:10 pm |
| Why not GFCI everywhere? | March 12, 2007, 12:03 pm |
| Why not GFCI everywhere? | March 12, 2007, 12:03 pm |
| How do I actually "test" a GFCI | February 13, 2005, 3:53 am |
| GFCI - New Jersey | July 18, 2005, 9:30 am |
| GFCI Question "take two" | July 30, 2005, 3:19 pm |
| GFCI Question | August 7, 2005, 8:43 pm |
| GFCI Problem | November 17, 2005, 9:48 pm |
| GFCI Question? | December 1, 2005, 9:40 am |
| GFCI device | December 7, 2005, 12:13 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap