I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:39:35 -0500, "Patch"
wrote:

I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?


You are still alive, right?

On Jun 29, 2:39*pm, "Patch" wrote:
I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

The GFI works on the unbalance of current between live and neutral.
Ground may not come into it at all (despite the GFI designation).

So suggestion: Maybe you touched both live and neutral wires that the
mice had chewed so as be bare, simultaneously and electric current
went through your hand but live and neutral currents being balanced,
it did not trip the GFI?

However if current went from your hand through your body to the damp
ground it's a good question; one would think that would be an
unbalanced current that would trip the GFI?

Also could anyone comment on the amount of current through human body!
Even a few milliamps, not enough or fast enough to trip the GFI could
shock??????

Assuming, although not stated, for the moment this is typical North
American/Mexico etc. 115 volts circuit etc. Not European style 230
volts etc.

"Patch" wrote in message
...
I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I
grabbed the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice
had chewed the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got
knocked on my butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?


It might be defective. Try pushing the test button and see what happens.
Did you wire the line coming from the GFI to the shed using the LOAD
terminals?

On Jun 29, 11:39*am, "Patch" wrote:
I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

Is it made in China?

"Patch" wrote in message
...
I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I
grabbed the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice
had chewed the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got
knocked on my butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Two possibilities: The GFCI is defective, or GFCI devices trip when a fault
current is leaked to ground. If the hot and neutral wires were bare, and you
touched only them, and no ground, you'll simply stand there and fry, and the
GFCI won't do a thing for you

Patch wrote:
I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the
GFI. The other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet
with dew and I was just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet
were slightly damp. I grabbed the power cord of a battery charger to
unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed the insulation on the cord and
I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my butt. Why didn't the
GFI protect me?


Did the GFI trip?

If so, it did protect you - you got a 4 msec jolt instead of lying there
twitching until someone noticed you hadn't come down for breakfast.

On 6/29/2008 9:39 AM Patch spake thus:

I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious question he is the outlet
wired correctly? You say you "ran a line out to my tool shed" off the
GFCI outlet, and everyone assumed you did this correctly; did you?

In order to protect things "downstream" of the outlet, those things have
to be connected to the "load" connections of the GFCI device. If you
just wired the shed into the "line" side, nothing on that line will be
protected.


--
"Wikipedia ... it reminds me ... of dogs barking idiotically through
endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.
It drags itself out of the dark abyss of pish, and crawls insanely up
the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and
doodle. It is balder and dash."

- With apologies to H. L. Mencken

In article ,
David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 6/29/2008 9:39 AM Patch spake thus:

I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only things
running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and according to the
instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be protected by the GFI. The
other day I went out to the tool shed, the grass was wet with dew and I was
just wearing house slippers, I suspect my feet were slightly damp. I
grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice had
chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got knocked on
my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious question he is the outlet
wired correctly? You say you "ran a line out to my tool shed" off the
GFCI outlet, and everyone assumed you did this correctly; did you?

In order to protect things "downstream" of the outlet, those things have
to be connected to the "load" connections of the GFCI device. If you
just wired the shed into the "line" side, nothing on that line will be
protected.

John Grabowski's reply included that question, six hours ago. Perhaps
his post hasn't made it to you yet.

On 6/29/2008 6:22 PM Smitty Two spake thus:

In article ,
David Nebenzahl wrote:

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious question he is the outlet
wired correctly? You say you "ran a line out to my tool shed" off the
GFCI outlet, and everyone assumed you did this correctly; did you?

In order to protect things "downstream" of the outlet, those things have
to be connected to the "load" connections of the GFCI device. If you
just wired the shed into the "line" side, nothing on that line will be
protected.

John Grabowski's reply included that question, six hours ago. Perhaps
his post hasn't made it to you yet.

Ah, yes, there it is: my bad. 5 lashes with a wet noodle for me.


--
"Wikipedia ... it reminds me ... of dogs barking idiotically through
endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.
It drags itself out of the dark abyss of pish, and crawls insanely up
the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and
doodle. It is balder and dash."

- With apologies to H. L. Mencken

In article ,
David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 6/29/2008 9:39 AM Patch spake thus:

I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only
things running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and
according to the instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be
protected by the GFI. The other day I went out to the tool shed,
the grass was wet with dew and I was just wearing house slippers, I
suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice
had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got
knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious question he is the outlet
wired correctly? You say you "ran a line out to my tool shed" off the
GFCI outlet, and everyone assumed you did this correctly; did you?

In order to protect things "downstream" of the outlet, those things
have to be connected to the "load" connections of the GFCI device.
If you just wired the shed into the "line" side, nothing on that
line will be protected.

John Grabowski's reply included that question, six hours ago. Perhaps
his post hasn't made it to you yet.

IMO since the OP hasn't come back even and hasn't answered any of the
questions they rate being asked again so he'll see them and realize
answers should be forthcoming. IMO it's all been said til he responds.

on 6/30/2008 10:49 AM TWayne said the following:
In article ,
David Nebenzahl wrote:


On 6/29/2008 9:39 AM Patch spake thus:


I have a GFI installed at our lily pool. The pumps are the only
things running off it. I ran a line out to my tool shed and
according to the instructions for the GFI, the shed should also be
protected by the GFI. The other day I went out to the tool shed,
the grass was wet with dew and I was just wearing house slippers, I
suspect my feet were slightly damp. I grabbed
the power cord of a battery charger to unplug it. Apparently mice
had chewed
the insulation on the cord and I grabbed the bare wire and got
knocked on my
butt. Why didn't the GFI protect me?

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious question he is the outlet
wired correctly? You say you "ran a line out to my tool shed" off the
GFCI outlet, and everyone assumed you did this correctly; did you?

In order to protect things "downstream" of the outlet, those things
have to be connected to the "load" connections of the GFCI device.
If you just wired the shed into the "line" side, nothing on that
line will be protected.

John Grabowski's reply included that question, six hours ago. Perhaps
his post hasn't made it to you yet.


IMO since the OP hasn't come back even and hasn't answered any of the
questions they rate being asked again so he'll see them and realize
answers should be forthcoming. IMO it's all been said til he responds.



Maybe he touched the bare wires again with more dire consequences.
Someone should call 911! :-)

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @