Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

During a lightning storm, my lamp, which was plugged into an outlet on my
garage wall, went out, and I heard the relay (breaker) on the outlet click.
When I tried to reset the breaker by pushing in the red button, it just popped
out again! When the breaker has tripped in the past, I have been able to reset
it by pushing in the red "reset" button. There is also a black "test" button,
just below the red button. Both buttons are sticking out of the outlet
faceplate. All the other outlets and circuits are OK. But this outlet is dead,
until I push in the red button, and the electricity only flows for a second,
until the red button pops out again. It pops out with or without something
plugged into the sockets.

How can I fix this thing? Is something fried inside it ?

ANy clues welcomed !!!

L

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

On 22 Jul 2003, Lecher9000 wrote:

During a lightning storm, my lamp, which was plugged into an outlet on
my garage wall, went out, and I heard the relay (breaker) on the
outlet click. When I tried to reset the breaker by pushing in the red
button, it just popped out again! When the breaker has tripped in the
past, I have been able to reset it by pushing in the red "reset"
button. There is also a black "test" button, just below the red
button. Both buttons are sticking out of the outlet faceplate. All
the other outlets and circuits are OK. But this outlet is dead, until
I push in the red button, and the electricity only flows for a second,
until the red button pops out again. It pops out with or without
something plugged into the sockets.

How can I fix this thing? Is something fried inside it ?

ANy clues welcomed !!!

OK, here you go!...

Clue 1: It's not a breaker, it's a GFCI (Gound Fault Circuit
Interrupter).

Clue 2: It's trying to tell you something, in fact it's just
about screaming at you...SOMETHING IS WRONG!, I can't
be reset by pushing that button.

Clue 3: Since you needed Clue 1 and Clue 2, you can "fix this
thing" by calling an electrician. That is your ONLY
option, please don't take it personally, but it's plain
as day that you know nothing about this stuff. Go to
Yellow Pages. Eletricians, residential. If you do not
keep dicking with it (trying to reset it) there is a
decent chance that you will be fine with a service call
during normal business hours tomorrow or the next day.
IOW: Leave it the hell alone before you start a fire.

HTH.
--
TP

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

Unplug the lamp and then try resetting the GFI and see if it doesn't kick out
again..you have a ground short so unplug everything on the circuit until the
GFI kicks and you will know what is causing it...try the lamop first though to
see if it is it

candice

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

During a lightning storm, my lamp, which was plugged into an outlet on
my garage wall, went out, and I heard the relay (breaker) on the
outlet click. When I tried to reset the breaker by pushing in the red
button, it just popped out again! When the breaker has tripped in the
past, I have been able to reset it by pushing in the red "reset"
button. There is also a black "test" button, just below the red
button. Both buttons are sticking out of the outlet faceplate. All
the other outlets and circuits are OK. But this outlet is dead, until
I push in the red button, and the electricity only flows for a second,
until the red button pops out again. It pops out with or without
something plugged into the sockets.

How can I fix this thing? Is something fried inside it ?

ANy clues welcomed !!!

OK, here you go!...

Clue 1: It's not a breaker, it's a GFCI (Gound Fault Circuit
Interrupter).

Clue 2: It's trying to tell you something, in fact it's just
about screaming at you...SOMETHING IS WRONG!, I can't
be reset by pushing that button.

Clue 3: Since you needed Clue 1 and Clue 2, you can "fix this
thing" by calling an electrician. That is your ONLY
option, please don't take it personally, but it's plain
as day that you know nothing about this stuff. Go to
Yellow Pages. Eletricians, residential. If you do not
keep dicking with it (trying to reset it) there is a
decent chance that you will be fine with a service call
during normal business hours tomorrow or the next day.
IOW: Leave it the hell alone before you start a fire.

HTH.
--
TP



I hope I helped with your inferiority complex. Now I'll read the other
responses.

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

Forgive me for replying before checking everything hooked up to the circuit,
but today ( 24 hours after the malfunction) I was able to push in the 'reset'
button, and get it to hold. The lamp worked just fine.

Hmmm. Why today does it reset, but yesterday it didn't ??? Maybe some
different devices are off today that were on yesterday. Maybe water was leaking
into something yesterday and today it has dried up....

Thanks for the replies.

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

On 23 Jul 2003, Lecher9000 wrote:

Forgive me for replying before checking everything hooked up to the
circuit, but today ( 24 hours after the malfunction) I was able to
push in the 'reset' button, and get it to hold. The lamp worked just
fine.

Hmmm. Why today does it reset, but yesterday it didn't ??? Maybe
some different devices are off today that were on yesterday. Maybe
water was leaking into something yesterday and today it has dried
up....

Maybe the next time you'll have a clue? Or maybe your house will
burn down?

Thanks for the replies.

No problem, thanks for asking.

--
TP

Circuit Breaker in Garage Malfunctioning
 

On 23 Jul 2003, Lecher9000 wrote:

Forgive me for replying before checking everything hooked up to the
circuit, but today ( 24 hours after the malfunction) I was able to
push in the 'reset' button, and get it to hold. The lamp worked just
fine.

Hmmm. Why today does it reset, but yesterday it didn't ??? Maybe
some different devices are off today that were on yesterday. Maybe
water was leaking into something yesterday and today it has dried
up....

Maybe the next time you'll have a clue? Or maybe your house will
burn down?

Thanks for the replies.

No problem, thanks for asking.

--
TP