Stumped by electrical oddity....

[BudLove]

Problem: When everything is on and running (lights/fans/etc).... if I unplug a light the circuit blows. If I leave everything setup as normal with timers, when they shut off everything is fine.

Why would the circuit trip ONLY when I unplug a single item? How can that cause a 15amp spike??

 

[PharmaCan]

It sounds like you have a short caused by having neutrals & hots hooked up wrong. When the light is plugged in, it is using the power so it's not faulting the circuit????? Or maybe the physical action of unplugging the lamps is causing something in the connection to move, causing a short. I dunno, Bud, you've got some kind of chingus in the dingus there, but it's probably something simple and easy to fix, once you find it.

PC

 

[NiteTiger]

Sounds to me like you're getting a short when you unplug. If you're plugged into an outlet, make sure the outlet is securely mounted, and does not rock back and forth. This is actually pretty common in outlets that are older, and seen lots of use. The metal mounting tabs on outlets aren't particularly thick, and they can become warped and bent. When this happens, the movement of the outlet can cause wires to come into contact with each other or a ground. This will cause your short.

 

[river rat01]

chingas in the dingus- heh
it does sound like a short to me too. double check all you're connections asap. the following i took from another source:
Circuit breakers are basically switches that trip or (turn off) when it senses heat. When wires short out or overload, the circuit temperature rises and the breaker trips. This keeps a potentially dangerous situation from occurring. The Circuit Breaker is found in the electrical service panel.

The first thing we need to look at in trying to determine why a breaker is tripping or has tripped, is overloaded circuits. Overloads occur when there are to many devices plugged in, on one circuit. Code usually dictate that lights have their own dedicated circuits, and electrical outlets have different circuits. A 15-amp breaker is designed to trip before 14-gauge wire gets overheated. A 20-amp breaker is designed to trip before 12-gauge wire overheats.

Determine what happened when the breaker tripped. Did you just plug in an appliance? Have you added new lighting or appliances? It could be anything, but try and pinpoint what just happened to cause the breaker to trip. If the answer is you just plugged in a device, unplug it and then turn the breaker back into the on position and see if it trips again.

If the breaker trips again after it has been turned back on, then you may want to consider the possibility of a short circuit. Short circuits are dangerous, and in my opinion needs immediate attention. A short circuit is caused when the hot-wire (black) touches another hot wire or it touches a neutral wire (white). It can also be caused if there is a break in a wire in the circuit.

Shorts circuits are difficult to diagnose. The wiring in your home, or in something you have plugged into an outlet can cause them. Start looking for the obvious signs first. Inspect the power cords on all your devices, for damage or a melted appearance. Electricity can be considered has heat, and indeed produces it, this will cause the power cords on your devices or appliances the literally melt. It may be substantial, or barely visible, however the case, you will need to do a thorough and complete search of all your device power cords.

This one is really important. Check your outlets and plugs for the smell of burning or brown or black discoloration. If you see this, discontinue using this outlet immediately and call a licensed electrician. This situation can and will cause fires, and has contributed to many electrical shock incidences.

The other possible cause of a breaker tripping is the ground fault. A ground fault exists when the hot wire touches the ground wire or the side of a metal outlet box (because the metal box is connected to the ground wire). The ground fault is a type of short circuit. Consult an electrician if you are not 100% sure that you can do this yourself.

 

[maxheadroom]

Excellent post there river rat01

BudLove if you can try feel what cables you can, if you find one that is hot or seems a lot warmer than the others that could indicate where the short is a curing, gl.

 

[NiteTiger]

You guys did catch that this isn't coming from a load on the circuit, but when he UNplugs something from the circuit, right?

Also, it's tough to get a licensed electrician into your grow...

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Also, it's tough to get a licensed electrician into your grow...

I know an electrician who's also a dealer. I've often wondered about how much money he could make as an underground electrician.

Would you have to drive him to the site blindfolded?

LOL

 

[NiteTiger]

I know an electrician who's also a dealer. I've often wondered about how much money he could make as an underground electrician.

Would you have to drive him to the site blindfolded?

LOL

All kidding aside, that's exactly what I'd do

And he could make a FORTUNE

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Hey! Watcha got in that box man!? -Yo.. Dont wory dude, its just my electrician. Hes here to fix the short!

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Shure dose sound like a wigley wire in the outlet.

 

[VenturaHwy]

Good ideas so far, does it trip when the plug is wiggled and not unplugged? Take off the receptacle cover to see if there is a spark... If not maybe you are right at the circuits max and unplugging the light is causing more current to flow through the circuit (when it sparks when unplugging), its called induction when a coil is disconnected, just guessing of course... I am an electrician but certainly don't know it all lol...

Did you read the seedbay thread where Gypsy was blindfolded to get to a grow in Vietnam, its a great thread check it out... SE Asian adventure....

 

[seeyouaunty]

maybe you are right at the circuits max and unplugging the light is causing more current to flow through the circuit (when it sparks when unplugging), its called induction when a coil is disconnected, just guessing of course...

x2, just what i was going to say. You could try temporarily adding something that draws 500 - 1000W of power to the circuit. If you are near the circuits max it'll trip the breaker. If it doesn't trip the breaker then i'd suspect a loose/exposed wire in the socket.

 

[caljim]

I think Venturahwy has got it right.... It's called inductive reactance, the opposition to a change in current in an a/c circuit.

When you pull the plug on the ballast a surge in current, that is trying to oppose the change, causing the breaker to trip.

 

[blubullett]

How new is your house? New homes come with AFCI (arc fault circut interupter) breakers for the bedrooms. They will trip if something is unplugged while running. You can easily change these out for regular circut breakers of the same brand.