GCFI Keeps tripping in my garage

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laurentj23

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Hey all,

My garage outlet is controlled by one GCFI which is closed to the main breaker. Recently, it keeps tripping one me. I tried replacing the gcfi but still trip so there's an open wire somewhere. There's a cable underground that goes to the house. Will this wire caused it to trip? How do i replaced this wire? any other to troubleshoot it?

This spot got really wet when it rains.




Behind it is where i find the buried wire


Goes all the way here
 
That buried wire you show is not your power, those are ground rods bonding your electrical system to ground. I gather from the photos that you have a detached garage? My first guess is that you have a loose connection or an open neutral somewhere. If it's only happening when it rains, then something that shouldn't be getting wet is, and the GFCI is doing exactly what it's designed to. I would then check if any of your devices or things plugged into those devices are getting a lot of moisture. Do you have anything plugged in when the GFCI trips? Is there any moisture getting into any of your outlets?
 
Kabris said:
That buried wire you show is not your power, those are ground rods bonding your electrical system to ground. I gather from the photos that you have a detached garage? My first guess is that you have a loose connection or an open neutral somewhere. If it's only happening when it rains, then something that shouldn't be getting wet is, and the GFCI is doing exactly what it's designed to. I would then check if any of your devices or things plugged into those devices are getting a lot of moisture. Do you have anything plugged in when the GFCI trips? Is there any moisture getting into any of your outlets?
Click to expand...


Yes sir it is a detached garage.
I tried looking at all the rceptacle and took hot and neutral cable out and try resetting it. So far it's still tripping. The only receptacles that I have not check is the one on the ceiling where my garage door opener is. Everything is unplugged while checking it. I tried rechecking the wiring for the new gcfi and everything seems right.
 
Disconnect the cable at the first point it enters the garage. If the GFCI still trips then the problem is possibly in the underground cable.
If you can the next step is to disconnect the cable where it leaves the house and try the GFCI again.
 
JoeD said:
Disconnect the cable at the first point it enters the garage. If the GFCI still trips then the problem is possibly in the underground cable.
If you can the next step is to disconnect the cable where it leaves the house and try the GFCI again.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the cable that was in the picture above?

This is how I wired the gcfi



Cable routing


No power
 
Last edited:
If it trips immediately, without anything loading it, then there is possibly a bad wire or short. You could test this by disconnecting all wires from the GFCI and turning on the breaker. If it trips, then you have a short somewhere. If it does not trip, then temporarily pigtail the wires from your GFCI together (black to black/white to white) and try the breaker again. If it trips this time, but did not before, then there is a short downstream of the GFCI. If the breaker does not trip at all, then the GFCI is doing what it's supposed to be doing, and you have a ground fault.
 
I yoiur photo we do see a ground rod and don't see a conduit or cable.
Joe's instruction s will help prove it is the cable or other outlets that is the problem.
 
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