I built a barn a few years ago and I was required to install an outside light (by the entrance door) to the barn. I had an electrician wire the barn and all has been well up until now. On the circuit the outside light is on there is also one GFCI outlet as well as two 8ft fluorescents. All of a sudden when I turn on the outside light when the fluorescents are on it pops the breaker. Do I have a nail through a wire some place?
Depending on the type of outside lighting, what is plugged into the GFcI outlet.......could be an overload. I highly doubt it. Sounds like there is a short in the outside light, unless it works fine without the flourescents on. Something else that might cause it is loose neutral somewhere. Sometimes, a loose neutral will cause power to backfeed thru other equipment and make other things work.....but that is a wild guess too.
If it has been fine up to now, that lets out a wiring mistake in the switch box, but you might open that up anyway and see if anything looks amiss.
Disconnect the flourescent's feed in the fixtures and turn the switches on. That will eliminate the lights inside.
Let me know more as to what you find.
If the breaker has been subjected to numerous overloads and tripping, it will weaken it. Breakers are about $4-8.00, might try a new one.
Thanks for the replies. I have checked the wiring in the switch box and I see nothing amiss. There seems to be nothing wrong with the GFCI outlet or the fluorescents. It does not matter if the fluorescents are on or not any time the outside light is turned on the breaker trips immediately. I have also checked the wiring in the light fixture, all is ok there, I even disconnected the outside sight and it still trips when the switch is turned on. Could there be a nail through a wire some where causing this?
I would suspect a staple driven too tight in the wall, a nail puncture or something similar if you removed the light. Also check inside the light box and see if anything looks out of place, such as a clamp in the box too tight.
I had a similar incident (GFCI trips). Nothing in the electrical or building itself changed.
Works out my GFCI needed replaced. It was about 5 years old but just pooped out.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote