Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

--

On 02/04/2014 01:44 PM, A mom who needs help. wrote:
Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?




A GFC outlet is /required/ for use in any moisture prone area such as a
bathroom. The GFC may very well have saved your life.


Do NOT under any circumstances attempt to rewire the lamp and circumvent
the life-saving protection.

Rather than risk your life, dispose of the unit and get a new
replacement. If it's a built-in unit, have the work done by a qualified
and licensed electrician. Do not try to save money on this one!

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.
wrote:

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

Just a quick Google found this:
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=126498

Which seems to confirm that, if the lamp post doesn't contain a
receptacle, it doesn't need to be GFCI protected.

You can easily change this if the feed from the lamp enters the house
in the same box as the GFCI receptacle by just changing the
connections to the lamp post from "load" to "line"

If it enters the house somewhere else, you will have to describe more
about how the wiring is done.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2014 3:05:42 PM UTC-5, Metspitzer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.

wrote:



Hi,



I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to

happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all

bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should

not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?



Just a quick Google found this:

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=126498



Which seems to confirm that, if the lamp post doesn't contain a

receptacle, it doesn't need to be GFCI protected.



You can easily change this if the feed from the lamp enters the house

in the same box as the GFCI receptacle by just changing the

connections to the lamp post from "load" to "line"



If it enters the house somewhere else, you will have to describe more

about how the wiring is done.

I believe you are correct. Unless the lampost is near a pool,
I don't believe outdoor lights need GFCI, only receptacles do.

But the fact that it's tripping indicates that something is
wrong and it's a potential problem. If it were mine, I'd diagnose
and find the problem. It sounds like water is getting in
somewhere that it doesn't belong. Could be a small thing that's
easily fixed. Or it could be a more serious short that could
potentially shock someone once the GFCI is bypassed, either now
or later when it gets worse. If the post/fixture is correctly
installed, grounded, etc the chance of that is probably small.
But there is something not right or it would not be tripping.

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.
wrote:

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

Is the lamp post in the front yard or in direct proximity to a pool /
patio area in the back yard?

GFCI's do fail and should be replaced when they do.

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.
wrote:

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

I agree with Trader and think you should find out what the problem is
and not rewire until you do.

How does the light on the post get turned on. Is it a photocell that
keeps it on all night? A switch in the house? A switch somewhere
else?

If, for example it were wired wrong so that the switched line was the
neutral and the hot line was always on**

**or maybe it's not wired wrong but the hot line is always not because
it ruas to a solar cell switchl in the actual lamp socket

then if the hot wire were touching the metal post, or some
semi-conductive partially carbonized bakelite was, and when the ground
was wet some current flowed, that would trip the GFCI. (I'm trying
to figure out the most likely way the GFCI would trip when the grass is
wet.)

It would also mean if someone touched the post while it was hot, maybe
in bare feet on the grass, they might get fried. At least if you
disconnect it from the GFCI.

You could check if the post is "hot" but maybe it's not except when it's
wet out, and then the GFCI immediately trips.


What happens when you reset the GFCI while the ground is still wet.
Does it trip again right away, or does it stick?

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.
wrote:

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

There is obviously a problem in the wiring in the light post, or between
the post and house. You need to find the problem. But I do agree that
post should not be connected to the bathroom. I'd disconnect it from
bathroom, give it it's own GFCI (breaker or outlet). At least that way,
it only knocks itself off. All outdoor wiring should be on a GFCI, but
not on the bathroom one. If this is too big of a job for you, hire an
electrician, or just disconnect the wires to that post completely, and
get a solar light for the post.

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:53:08 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.
m wrote:

Hi,

I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to
happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all
bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should
not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?

I agree with Trader and think you should find out what the problem is
and not rewire until you do.

How does the light on the post get turned on. Is it a photocell that
keeps it on all night? A switch in the house? A switch somewhere
else?

If, for example it were wired wrong so that the switched line was the
neutral and the hot line was always on**

**or maybe it's not wired wrong but the hot line is always not because

is always on....

it ruas to a solar cell switchl in the actual lamp socket

it runs to a solar cell ....

then if the hot wire were touching the metal post, or some
semi-conductive partially carbonized bakelite was, and when the ground
was wet some current flowed, that would trip the GFCI. (I'm trying
to figure out the most likely way the GFCI would trip when the grass is
wet.)

It would also mean if someone touched the post while it was hot, maybe
in bare feet on the grass, they might get fried. At least if you
disconnect it from the GFCI.

You could check if the post is "hot" but maybe it's not except when it's
wet out, and then the GFCI immediately trips.


What happens when you reset the GFCI while the ground is still wet.
Does it trip again right away, or does it stick?

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 5:21:17 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:44:01 +0000, A mom who needs help.

wrote:



Hi,



I have a lamp post that trips my GFCI in my powder room. It seems to

happen when the ground is wet. When this GFCI trips it effects all

bathroom outlets and one bathroom light. I was told the lamp post should

not be wired to the GFCI at all. How do I rewire that at the GFCI?



There is obviously a problem in the wiring in the light post, or between

the post and house. You need to find the problem. But I do agree that

post should not be connected to the bathroom. I'd disconnect it from

bathroom, give it it's own GFCI (breaker or outlet). At least that way,

it only knocks itself off. All outdoor wiring should be on a GFCI, but

not on the bathroom one.


There is nothing in the code that says all outdoor
wiring needs to be on a GFCI, only receptacles and
certain other items like pool eqpt, lights near pools,
etc. AFAIK that lamp post would only have to be on
a GFCI if it had a receptacle or was near a pool.
There is nothing inherently wrong or a code violation
with it having been wired the way it is. I've seen many
houses where outdoor receptacles were off of GFCIs
shared by circuits in the house.



If this is too big of a job for you, hire an

electrician, or just disconnect the wires to that post completely, and

get a solar light for the post.

If she wants to put it on it's own GFCI, that could
be relatively easy or not. As Metspitzer pointed out,
you could get the light circuit off the bathroom GFCI
easily *if* it's directly wired to the load side of the
GFCI at the bathroom. The easiest way to then give it
it's own GFCI would be to use one of the GFCI switches
available. But the ones I've seen are a combination
switch and receptacle, which would probably look weird.
And if the light circuit comes off further down the line
somewhere from the GFCI, after other proteced receptacles,
then it gets more complicated.

Personally, I'd just find the fault, fix it, and leave
it as is. Could be it's an old lamp post that's shot
and time for a new one. Money might be better spent
on replacing that, if it is the source of the problem.