Home Electrical Question

[ketchenany]

I had one GFI that somehow got wet inside it tripped and parts had rust on it when I pulled it out. Changed it and that was it. I Find out they come tripped, PITA That is!

IF you replace it make sure it's sealed well. Mine is undear a cement lip and water snow just drain over it and also when I water the lawn? I now have a double cover over it.

[jimmer]

The receptacle is working fine, but maybe water got into it and effected the power out to the fixture. Guess I will find out tonight.

[iFish4real]

I'd say...grab a water hose with your left hand, hold it tight, wet your pointer finger of your right hand, run it around all the exposed wires and connections see if you get a slight zap and your hair goes instantly curly then you'll be able to track down the point where the power is lost

 

Or...call an electrician

[jimmer]

I'd say...grab a water hose with your left hand, hold it tight, wet your pointer finger of your right hand, run it around all the exposed wires and connections see if you get a slight zap and your hair goes instantly curly then you'll be able to track down the point where the power is lost

 

Or...call an electrician

Ouch!

[ketchenany]

He wants your fishing spots after you go! Call an electrician, OR do I really need that light?

[jimmer]

I won't stop until I figure it out.........or Big Cliff does.... LOL

[jimmer]

Just wanted to thank Cliff for the use of his circuit tester. It turned out that the GFI is no good. Both plugs worked and the GFI worked, but it was not putting out enough volts for the load connection. I guess I need to add some protection from the elements.

Just want to thank everyone for their input.

[cheaptackle]

Yaaaaay! Now, install a weatherproof box directly over the existing (need to do some drilling but it will give a surface mounted box effect), caulk it, wire up your new GFI, use a proper cover with lid and say goodbye to y'alls issues. As the pig says, th, th, tha, tha, that's all folks!

 

Michael

[jimmer]

I looked at some in use boxes for the GFI, but have decided to make my own cover which will give me more space to access the receptacle.

[ketchenany]

I looked at some in use boxes for the GFI, but have decided to make my own cover which will give me more space to access the receptacle.

I have made one out of plastic coffee container, Folgers. "cut a slot the size of the GFI box, half way up the container and slide it down over it."

 

When you want to use it slide it off plug in and slide it back on. I use it mainly at Christmas the cove it there always. works so far.

[Old Ironmaker]

I learned my lesson re: Outdoor GFI's years ago. The first think to check but someone mentioned it here early. Glad you have seen the light.

[jimmer]

That would have been my first guess Old Ironmaker, if I hadn't change the darn thing last year and the plugs were working. I guess I have now learned the lesson.

[Old Ironmaker]

I checked out a bad exterior light for days, maybe weeks at a new to me home. No way was I calling in a favour, how hard can it be to change a light bulb? Finally I found a GFI on a wall buried behind shrubbery. Someone had to tell me what it was and show me how to reset it. I am electrically challenged. I needed my Electricians at the plant change the batteries in my flashlight. I kid you not. I will not touch anything I can't see, smell, hear or feel since a 110 sent me 8' across a room cracking the drywall on my very first and last elec. DIY. My Dad and Father-in-law couldn't stop laughing as I cried messaging my elbows. Yea funny.

[jimmer]

Yikes, I think I was close to that when I discover that the two switches in one box were on two different circuits. My wife freaked on me when the sparks were flying, I was lucky. Not funny. :-(

[Old Ironmaker]

Yep Jimmer, electricity I leave to the electricians or brave friends that think they know what they are doing, just like Surgery and Dentistry sometimes you just have to "call the guy". Although I have tried the last 2 as DIY, it worked out better than the 110 shock.

 

An electrical story. My buddy who played D line in the CFL insisted he could hook up the 220 for the dryer. He tells me to shut off the power. The panel is 12' away. I am about to pull all the power in the panel and I hear a scream. He's flipping out because the power was still on. Like I said I don't know much about electricity but I do think if he got zapped with 220 me thinks he would be cooking like a side of beef, a rather large side. No matter he went well over 300 pounds at the time. I think he pinched his finger on a heavy gauge wire and did not get zapped, I don't know for sure. He didn't have any hair to catch fire but he sure was red after yelling at me for 5 minutes. You didn't want him angry with you.

[lew]

50 something years ago when I was in the Navy one of our ships electricians was changing a 440 amp fuse. Nobody really knows what happened but he somehow touched the contacts with bare hands and was blown across the room and instantly electrocuted.

 

We were only a couple hours helicopter fight to a land based hospital but he was dead while we were loading him aboard.

 

Lousy story but it shows that even well trained guys can get in huge trouble with electricity.

Edited September 29, 2017 by lew

[Fisherman]

Ah yes, a certain thing that the Military did not like was hands in your pockets, except when working on high powered electronics at the GATR sites.