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Actually, it might be the box, which would explain why the guy wrapped the outlet edges with tape. Out out of box, works fine. Outlet inside box, doesn’t want to reset..
Never mind. Calling the electrician. Had the tub working, then moment the heater came on, it went blank, but did not trip the fuses or the gfi. Somehow have lost full power to everything. Not messing with the panel inside and light myself up like a Christmas tree!
Dual 600w transformers draw too much power to be running off of half the circuit that's also powering a hot tub. 1200w is no small load.
I suggest replacing the bulbs with LEDs to get the current draw lower- I'm not surprised the circuits are tripping. If your hot tub is already ~75% the total load of the 220v circuit, but your landscape lights are pulling close to 80% the available power from one of the legs, there is basically no way it's all going to work together.
I have 12 landscape lights hooked up but each only uses 2w since they are LED- 24w total. Doesn't even use half of my 50w transformer's capacity, but they put out plenty of light.
If it was a typo and these are only 60w transformers, then probably a short in one of the connections, which is common especially with the kind of lights that stab through the wire to make the connection; one of the stabs could have missed.
Dual 600w transformers draw too much power to be running off of half the circuit that's also powering a hot tub. 1200w is no small load.
I suggest replacing the bulbs with LEDs to get the current draw lower- I'm not surprised the circuits are tripping. If your hot tub is already ~75% the total load of the 220v circuit, but your landscape lights are pulling close to 80% the available power from one of the legs, there is basically no way it's all going to work together.
I have 12 landscape lights hooked up but each only uses 2w since they are LED- 24w total. Doesn't even use half of my 50w transformer's capacity, but they put out plenty of light.
If it was a typo and these are only 60w transformers, then probably a short in one of the connections, which is common especially with the kind of lights that stab through the wire to make the connection; one of the stabs could have missed.
GFCI are notoriously fickle. Even the slightest bit of moisture or stray voltage, like arcing in your receptacle box, will trip them and you will never find the source.
Try installing a normal outlet in your string and see what that does. Many times it will operate normally and the breaker in the box will be your safety device.
Good luck. PIA. Even the electrician will scratch his head, but the frustration will be on him (while the $$$ meter runs) and off your shoulders. Let us know what he does/says. Won't surprise me if he switches out the GFCI outlet...at least to see how the circuit reacts without it.
Had the same problem with low voltage driveway lights....transformer, 15 LED lights....couldn't stop the damned thing from tripping once things got damp.
I'd probably try a better brand of GFCI. White/Rogers is junky- great "T-sats", low-end wiring devices.
Spot on! I helped a friend install some GFCI outlets in preparation to sell their house. Since she had limited funds, rather than purchase Leviton GFCI's, which I'd typically do, I purchased some low end GFCI's and they didn't work correctly, and would randomly trip after day or two, and you couldn't reset them without going into the basement and resetting the circuit breaker for that circuit.
I messed around with them a couple times and checked to make sure they were hooked up correctly. Could never find any thing wrong. So I finally purchased Leviton (a name brand to anyone who knows electrical) GFCI's.....and lo and behold, everything worked perfectly after that!
I'd start with replacing the GFCI with a name brand unit and see if that solves the issue. I learned my lesson on buying substandard off brand stuff....don't do it.
That’s correct, only one transformer for the yard lights, which are low voltage LED’s. The transformer is way overkill for the amount of power the lights are actually pulling down (the equivalent of a standard incandescent light bulb), but only transformer that would allow for two power supply wires to be hooked up (have one running through back yard and other through front). I have four 60 amp jumpers in this power supply chain, two in the main inside the house and two at the box outside that is part of my pictures. I suspect one of them has gone bad as I don’t think enough power is being fed to the tub and therefore also the outlet for the yard lights too. In the past I’ve not had any issues with the lights, even when buried under nearly 2 feet of snow, they’d always come on. We’ll find out soon enough though, my electrician is coming Tuesday morning to take a look! I understand the logic and method of electrical wiring a bit, but not messing with a main panel and primary feed wires into the home. Above my comfort level!
My guy came early, had a cancellation today. Yep, it was indeed one of the indoor breakers. Once again, K’ pegged it right from the start! Only 120 was going out to the other two breakers in my photos. He showed it to me, clear as day from the back. Loose wire on the main causes it to go bad. $150 later, all is right with our world again.
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