On Feb 23, 2:42*pm, Michael Dobony wrote:
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:00:58 -0500, Nate Nagel wrote:
On 02/22/2011 11:33 PM, Michael Dobony wrote:
On Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:30:51 -0600, Michael Dobony wrote:

On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:30:34 -0500, RBM wrote:

*wrote in message
m...
On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:53:22 -0800, *wrote:

On 2/21/2011 10:15, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

One way to find out is to change the wire from one breaker to another of
the same capacity. *If the swapped breaker still trips, it is the
breaker. *If the breaker the line was swapped to trips it, it is the
circuit.

Before swapping wires around you need to ensure that you don't overload
the neutral.

How?

If you don't understand the concept, get help.

Do tell.

In the event that this particular circuit is part of a multiwire branch
circuit, or Edison circuit, it will be sharing it's neutral with another
circuit breaker served by the other leg of the service. If the OP
unknowingly switches this circuit with a breaker that is not on a leg of the
same potential, he will have two circuits of the same potential sharing the
neutral, which can cause an overload to the neutral.

Not possible to swap phases on this ancient beast. All the circuits on one
side of the breaker box are on a single phase with the other side on
another phase.

I swapped out breakers from another unused box to check. So far, no tripped
breaker.

Well, it tripped tonight. I reset it and it is still on. Will check in the
morning to see if it stayed on all night. As far as we can determine only
the one set of outdoor security lights are on that circuit. Nothing else
seems to be off when it trips. It has a new light sensor on it, so probably
not the culprit. Only 5 bulbs on the run.

Do you have an ammeter?

nate

With the lights off it is pulling 12 amps. 5 lights at 100 watts each (I
think there are 75's in all the sockets) that is only a little over 4
watts. That gives me 4 amps excess capacity. I have no idea what is pulling
those 12 amps.


If that is the case you need to open up the circuit at the points
you know about and make similar measurements at those
places... Your circuit has additional load on it and you must
figure out what it is...

Can you trace any exposed wiring to see if there is a junction
box where it is tapped ?

~~ Evan