Home electric problem / question help

[teg]

Was the "hospital rated GFCI" for the sump pump? My well pump is not GFCI (wow, need to double/triple check THAT statement).

So this modular home was by Nationwide... they used the cheapest crap in every asspect of the house build. (I do NOT recommend Modular homes.)

I suspect changing out the GFCI to something better quality will be in my future... Just wondered if I could isolate the well pump better.

 

[CobyRupert]

Just to keep this thread interesting... (a different an electrical story... shocking, happened a few hours ago).
.....
Jokingly told the wife who is a double E, naa, I'll wire it live... without thinking put in the first one. For the second one, I held the wire and rested my pinky finger on the panel to steady it and got a heck of a tingle!!!!

Wait. Your wife is an electrical engineer!!!?? Why the *&#$% are you asking us?

 

[oldpilgrim]

Check ur ground rod. I've heard of some similar things happening with a bad ground connection. Seems the earth was too dry and would not provide a suitable contact with the rod. Pouring a little water on the ground around the rod verified the problem. Moving or lengthening the rod solved the problem.

 

[CobyRupert]

They also make GFEP (ground fault equipment protector) breakers that trip at around 30 millamps instead of the 3-5 milliamp inbalance of GFCI's.

 

[teg]

Are they all really GFCI breakers? They have little white pigtails?
Why would you have GFCI's for bedrooms?

{snip}....One would think you'd get these trips happening from day #1.

Thursday will confirm GFCI breaker... I'm 90% sure they are... (how do you tell if they are AFCI breakers???)

GFCI in Bedrooms are shared with the Bathroom circuits (I believe) or just mislabeled on the electric panel (would not surprise me).

These have been tripping since the first day... we are weekenders and have just put up with it for the last year and a half. From having to replace shingles that have flew off (3 times) to fixing all the rest of the crap that been needed... vent pipe not glued, had to have that "fixed" three times... sink still leaks (trying to track down from where)... One problem at a time. I really, really need to get a Radon Fan set up... highest reading was116... usually its about 30 (whatever units).

Thanks again...

 

[teg]

Wait. Your wife is an electrical engineer!!!?? Why the *&#$% are you asking us?

Now that is funny
She does "nothing" practical... works on computer / cash registers. IBM and now Toshiba point of sale devices... I tried to convince her that the faulty breaker should be on "her to do" list... (If I can ever find that list #$%^&*)

 

[teg]

Check ur ground rod....Seems the earth was too dry and would not provide a suitable contact with the rod...

This is a good possibility!!! So the foundation guys put the re-bar in for the grounding rod about as far from the electrical panel as possible. So our electrician ran a pretty small wire (I'll take a photo of that too) out the side of our house and put it under our covered side porch. It is dry down there... :mur:

Any problem running a second wire from the ground to the original re-bar? What size wire should I use??

 

[CobyRupert]

Let me stress my original point for GFCI circuits: Each GFCI's circuits neutral (white wire) needs to be isolated from other circuit's white wire (neutrals) and from the ground (green wire). Otherwise, the neutral current has a parallel path on other circuit's neutral wires back to the neutral bus in the panel. This looks like a current imbalance to all the GFCI breakers whose neutrals are somehow bonded and they all will trip.

 

[teg]

Let me stress my original point for GFCI circuits:....

Definitely, noted

 

[buickanddeere]

Fridge, freezer and sump pump should not be on an AfCI , GFCI or combo AFCI/GFCI even if the code book says so. A proper three prong plug from the device into a properly wired receptacle connected to a real working ground system is plenty sufficient.
Receptacles should not be on the same breaker as lights. Bathroom , kitchen, garage , laundry room, utility room and garages should be on thier own dedicated circuit and breaker, not shared with anything else.