# Popping GFI but not non-GFI outlets - need help



## kdtarbet (Sep 6, 2010)

I have motorcycle trailer with a small breaker box which feeds two overhead flourescent lights, two exterior halogen lights and 3 interior outlets.  The box has room for two breaker, but currently only using one, 15-amp breaker.  

When I connect plug into my garage's non-GFI outlet I have power.  When I plug into my outside GFI outlet, the GFI outlet pops.  It pops even with all connections disconnected.  I can only get it to not pop when I remove the wiring from the incoming extenions cord to the hot, neutral and ground.  If I have any of the incoming extension cord wires connected to the break box, the GFI pops.

Is the breaker box - small with just room for two breakers - somehow bad?  Is their something else I should be looking at?  It does not add up to me that even with all the wiring inside the trailer disconnected, the GFI will still pop...

Any help is much appreciated, thanks!


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## triple D (Sep 6, 2010)

Is the extension cord wired to the lugs of breaker box directly with no splices along the way? And you have the black white and green unhooked? If this is the case the cord needs to be replaced, it has a bad spot causing gfi to trip. If it has the white and green hooked to panel in trailer, but the hots unhooked, then your problem is the neutral and ground are in contact somewhere in the trailer. Hope this helps you.


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## kdtarbet (Sep 7, 2010)

Thank you, very helpful.

The cord does not have any splices, so I can eliminate that.  I will try the other two scenarios you mention.  I have a feeling it is going to be that a neutral and ground are in contact somewhere in the trailer...  Looking forward to trying your recommmendations.

Thanks!


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## kdtarbet (Sep 21, 2010)

Information was very helpful - after hours of trying to back into a solution, it turned out to be the extension cord.  So much wasted time!

But, I have another problem which I am hoping you can help with...

I have an outlet that has a switch for the lights (on the top) and a 110 plug (on the bottom).  The switch works the light - no problem.  But, when the 110 plug isn't working - tried a fan, a 110-light, nothing.

Their is one electrical feed into the outlet - that feeds both the switch and the plug.  Cannot figure out why the switch would work, but the plug would not.  It is the same feed, into the same outlet???  If the switch works the light, then shouldn't the plug also work given their are from the same feed?

Ideas, suggestion?

Thanks!


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## kok328 (Sep 22, 2010)

Probe the back of the outlet and see if power is getting to the outlet.  Maybe just a bad connection under a wire nut or something.  Work backwards from the outlet.


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## hornetd (Oct 7, 2010)

kdtarbet said:


> Information was very helpful - after hours of trying to back into a solution, it turned out to be the extension cord.  So much wasted time!
> 
> But, I have another problem which I am hoping you can help with...
> 
> ...



On one side of that yoke the switch and the receptacle are common.  On the other side of the device the switch and the receptacle are separate.  You have the supply conductor terminated to the split side of the switch and the conductor to the lighting outlet terminated to the common side.  Thus when you open the switch neither the receptacle nor the light have power.  If you change which side of the device each of those wires is terminated to the switch will control the light with the receptacle always on.  
--
Tom Horne


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