GFI is tripping---

[Joan]

Hi;

I have both of my pumps plugged into a GFI outlet. I know that I should
have run 2 separate lines so that if one trips, the other will still be
pumping, but I learned this too late. In the last month the GFI has been
tripped twice. I go to the GFI switch in my garage that controls these,
flip the switch, and the pumps come back on. What could be the problem?
Fortunately, I have been home both times that this has happened.

Thanks-----

[Hank]

Try turning off the power to the outlets and cleaning the plugs and
receptacle. Sometimes moisture can build up in dirt (usually spider
webs) and cause a slight leak of power to ground tripping the GFI. If
this does not work you may have a problem with one of the pumps, the
outlet or the GFI circuit breaker itself. Good luck Hank

--
some photos of my little puddle
http://community.webshots.com/user/hankpage1

"Joan" > wrote in message
...
> Hi;
>
> I have both of my pumps plugged into a GFI outlet. I know that I
should
> have run 2 separate lines so that if one trips, the other will still
be
> pumping, but I learned this too late. In the last month the GFI has
been
> tripped twice. I go to the GFI switch in my garage that controls
these,
> flip the switch, and the pumps come back on. What could be the
problem?
> Fortunately, I have been home both times that this has happened.
>
> Thanks-----
>
>

[NauticalWheeler]

I had that happen a couple of years ago. After checking the cord we found a
'small' area that had been chewed on by some little critter. The area was
small but, caused moisture problems therefore tripping the GFI.

Lisa

[REBEL JOE]

Mine did that at first. A little duck tape over the top stoped it.



http://community.webtv.net/rebeljoe/POND

God himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why
should you?

[Benign Vanilla]

"Joan" > wrote in message ...
> Hi;
>
> I have both of my pumps plugged into a GFI outlet. I know that I should
> have run 2 separate lines so that if one trips, the other will still be
> pumping, but I learned this too late. In the last month the GFI has been
> tripped twice. I go to the GFI switch in my garage that controls these,
> flip the switch, and the pumps come back on. What could be the problem?
> Fortunately, I have been home both times that this has happened.

I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.

He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
told before.

BV.

[Gale Pearce]

This is a joke ................. right????????????? - if not, I'd ask to see
his electrician certificate
Gale :~)
"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
...
> I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
> me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
> the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
> GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.
>
> He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
> told before.
>
> BV.
>
>

[how]

"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
...
> I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
> me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
> the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend
> no GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.
> He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
> told before.
> BV.


Hi,
This guy is not an electrician and code calls for a GFCI anywhere there is
water and electricity. http://www.ecmweb.com/mag/electric_code_basics_3/
HTH -_- how
no NEWS is good

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

I think you better find another electrician and have that one's work
reinspected.... did he by chance do the work for you without getting a
permit? ~ jan

>I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
>me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
>the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
>GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.
>
>He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
>told before.
>
>BV.
>

(Do you know where your water quality is?)

[Karen Mullen]

In article >, "Benign Vanilla"
> writes:

>He suggested that
>the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
>GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.

my gfci rarely trips unless (as just happened) the bucket covering the plugs
has a crack in it or isn't on properly.

Karen
Zone 5
Ashland, OH
http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html
My Art Studio at
http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K.M.Studios/K.M.Studios.html
for email remove the extra extention

[Benign Vanilla]

"Gale Pearce" > wrote in message
...
> This is a joke ................. right????????????? - if not, I'd ask to
see
> his electrician certificate
<snip>

Dead on serious.

BV.

[Benign Vanilla]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
s.com...
> I think you better find another electrician and have that one's work
> reinspected.... did he by chance do the work for you without getting a
> permit? ~ jan

In his defense, this guy was just out to do the estimate for labor for the
company, so he may have just misspoke. He won't be doing the work. Either
way, I told him I am not worried about the circuit tripping occasionally, so
I want the outlet to be a GFI. I am thinking he was just confused, because
the main reason he was here was to an estimate for a pool, and he said he'd
put a GFI for my second outlet near the pool for the lights. So he gets the
GFI concept.

BV.

[Mark Bannister]

Disclaimer: I'm no electrician.
Also in his defense MANY submersible pumps leak far too much voltage to
use a GFI. Older ones in particular are bad. There are many devices
that you cannot put on a GFI because they leak voltage (there is a
reason you don't install whole house GFI). Pumps that work fine at fist
may start tripping a GFI as they age. Typically you wouldn't want your
pump to turn off on you on a whim. But you also don't want to be fried
when it really fails.
Reminds me of the brilliant plumber who installed a sump pump in our
crawl space (before we bought the house). He dutifully put in a GFI,
but to reach it you had to crawl on your belly for 50 feet under the
house. Since he also used a cheap pump it tripped the GFI continually.
Needless to say I was not amused to have to crawl through the dark and
wet every time it rained.
Mark B.


Benign Vanilla wrote:
> "~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
> s.com...
>
>>I think you better find another electrician and have that one's work
>>reinspected.... did he by chance do the work for you without getting a
>>permit? ~ jan
>
>
> In his defense, this guy was just out to do the estimate for labor for the
> company, so he may have just misspoke. He won't be doing the work. Either
> way, I told him I am not worried about the circuit tripping occasionally, so
> I want the outlet to be a GFI. I am thinking he was just confused, because
> the main reason he was here was to an estimate for a pool, and he said he'd
> put a GFI for my second outlet near the pool for the lights. So he gets the
> GFI concept.
>
> BV.
>
>

[Benign Vanilla]

"Mark Bannister" > wrote in message
. ..
> Disclaimer: I'm no electrician.
> Also in his defense MANY submersible pumps leak far too much voltage to
> use a GFI. Older ones in particular are bad. There are many devices
> that you cannot put on a GFI because they leak voltage (there is a
> reason you don't install whole house GFI). Pumps that work fine at fist
> may start tripping a GFI as they age. Typically you wouldn't want your
> pump to turn off on you on a whim. But you also don't want to be fried
> when it really fails.
> Reminds me of the brilliant plumber who installed a sump pump in our
> crawl space (before we bought the house). He dutifully put in a GFI,
> but to reach it you had to crawl on your belly for 50 feet under the
> house. Since he also used a cheap pump it tripped the GFI continually.
> Needless to say I was not amused to have to crawl through the dark and
> wet every time it rained.
<snip>

Good point. I agree, which is why I am having the GFI placed out at the
pond, where it is easily accessible.

BV.

[Tony Rivas]

That is common. I just sat through a pond building seminar at the local
Aquarium Adventure storegiven by their resident expert pond builders. They
both said not to use a GFI on the submersible pond pumps as those pumps give
alot of false trips. These guys build some $10,000 ponds , so they are not
just trying to save money.


"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Joan" > wrote in message
...
> > Hi;
> >
> > I have both of my pumps plugged into a GFI outlet. I know that I should
> > have run 2 separate lines so that if one trips, the other will still be
> > pumping, but I learned this too late. In the last month the GFI has
been
> > tripped twice. I go to the GFI switch in my garage that controls these,
> > flip the switch, and the pumps come back on. What could be the problem?
> > Fortunately, I have been home both times that this has happened.
>
> I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
> me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
> the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
> GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.
>
> He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
> told before.
>
> BV.
>
>

[Go Fig]

In article >, Tony Rivas
> wrote:

> That is common. I just sat through a pond building seminar at the local
> Aquarium Adventure storegiven by their resident expert pond builders. They
> both said not to use a GFI on the submersible pond pumps as those pumps give
> alot of false trips.

What pumps do they claim do this ? Or which ones do they use ?

Many homes are very, very poorly grounded. A good class A GFIC breaker
trips when it is required.

jay
Thu Jul 08, 2004



> These guys build some $10,000 ponds , so they are not
> just trying to save money.
>
>
> "Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Joan" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > Hi;
> > >
> > > I have both of my pumps plugged into a GFI outlet. I know that I should
> > > have run 2 separate lines so that if one trips, the other will still be
> > > pumping, but I learned this too late. In the last month the GFI has
> been
> > > tripped twice. I go to the GFI switch in my garage that controls these,
> > > flip the switch, and the pumps come back on. What could be the problem?
> > > Fortunately, I have been home both times that this has happened.
> >
> > I had an electrician out to the house for some work, and asked him to give
> > me an estimate on running a line and a GFI to the pond. He suggested that
> > the pumps are prone to tripping GFI's and that they typically recommend no
> > GFI for ponds, as the pumps are designed to handle this.
> >
> > He sounded like he made sense, but it seems contrary to what I have been
> > told before.
> >
> > BV.
> >
> >
>
>

[Benign Vanilla]

"Tony Rivas" > wrote in message
.. .
> That is common. I just sat through a pond building seminar at the local
> Aquarium Adventure storegiven by their resident expert pond builders.
They
> both said not to use a GFI on the submersible pond pumps as those pumps
give
> alot of false trips. These guys build some $10,000 ponds , so they are
not
> just trying to save money.
<snip>

This meshes with what my guy told me. I tend to believe him, but am putting
a GFI in anyway. LOL.

BV.

[John Bachman]

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 03:29:51 GMT, "Tony Rivas"
> wrote:

>That is common. I just sat through a pond building seminar at the local
>Aquarium Adventure storegiven by their resident expert pond builders. They
>both said not to use a GFI on the submersible pond pumps as those pumps give
>alot of false trips. These guys build some $10,000 ponds , so they are not
>just trying to save money.
>
>

That makes no sense to me. The GFI trips when there is an imbalance
between the current flow in the hot and return wires. An imbalance
means that there is current flow somewhere else, where it is not
supposed to be (into the ground, etc.).

No pump, submersible or otherwise, should ever trip a GFI. Mine
doesn't.

Also, no electrical code anywhere would permit pond pumps without GFI
protection, nor should they.

JMHO

John

[[email protected]]

a good reason to replace pumps!!! my cal pump just died and The Pond Lady told me
the cords are where it is most likely to leak. so never, ever hold a pump by the
electrical cord or haul it outta the pond by the cord. leaking electricity is bad
for fish and people. mine are most definitely on a GFI protected circuit. Ingrid

Mark Bannister > wrote:
>Disclaimer: I'm no electrician.
>Also in his defense MANY submersible pumps leak far too much voltage to
>use a GFI. Older ones in particular are bad.


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