FRUSTRATED

[Talons]

Everything was working fine and then after a snowfall and a huge rain and wind storm, 3 channels stay on at 50% and then out the blue "MURPHY" has to show up and trip my GFI. I tried several different things, restarted computer, checked channels on software, unplugged the affected channels and nothing.....Its a very sad day as I just turned off the lights and computer for tonight until I get this figured out. Any ideas?


Re-posted by LightoramaDan... Previous post got into a little bit too much fun and this guy is already bummed so will start again and try to help.

[LightORamaDan]

You can try plugging the light strings one at a time into the power cord that is used by the LOR controller. See which if any of those are tripping the GFIC and wait for them to dry out. As far as the always on channels they may clear up as things dry out but it is hard to say.

Dan

[Guest Don Gillespie]

Talons wrote:

Everything was working fine and then after a snowfall and a huge rain and wind storm, 3 channels stay on at 50% and then out the blue "MURPHY" has to show up and trip my GFI. I tried several different things, restarted computer, checked channels on software, unplugged the affected channels and nothing.....Its a very sad day as I just turned off the lights and computer for tonight until I get this figured out. Any ideas?


Re-posted by LightoramaDan... Previous post got into a little bit too much fun and this guy is already bummed so will start again and try to help.

Have you tried an amp meter it may tell you that you are overlaoded on a channel and may be the problem I at one time was using incadescent lights and they were drawing too many amps and constantly blowing the GFI

[iccarakid]

Salvio had it right first. GFCIs are way too sensitive. A jump in amperage will certainly trip - it's guaranteed!

I was bummed just like you a couple of years ago... the slightest bit of rain - a drizzle - and my show was out for the night. Two of my relatives (one is an electrical engineer and the other is a mechanical engineer) told me to switch the GFIs for regular outlets.

I know, I know... you don't have to say it... but i tell you what - I have 4 controllers - 2 are on the same 15Amp circuit - the other two are on dedicated 15 amp circuits. I tested everything with a kill a wat meter - cheap and effecient - bought it at home depot. I also happen to have two boys 3 and 4&1/2 - they are very healthy, thank goodness.

I saw the original post - i know what the others said... and in part it's true... but maybe just for the holiday season you can switch the outlets to non GFCIs. The only Christmas Lights related death i know about is of a man who fell from his garage while hanging up lights... they weren't even plugged in.

So what are your choices?

a. leave the show off

b. turn the show on but take precautions

c. silicone ???

[Salvio]

lol.. what is going on with this post? i think it got a bit outta hand.. i think i hit a few sensitive nerves.. proof that GFIs are for amateurs.. thanks iccara.. merry christmas to all

[displaysinmotion_will]

iccarakid wrote:

Salvio had it right first. GFCIs are way too sensitive. A jump in amperage will certainly trip - it's guaranteed!

Let me clear something up, before you "think" you have the answer, let me be the first to say that you are wrong. A jump in amperage is not going to trip a GFCI. A GFCI detects a leakage of current fron the circuit that is being drawn from.

2ND. A GFCI can be your best friend in letting you know that you have a problem somewhere. Not only is it a safety feature but it will save a board from being destroyed due to a short circuit.

[displaysinmotion_will]

Salvio wrote:

lol.. what is going on with this post? i think it got a bit outta hand.. i think i hit a few sensitive nerves.. proof that GFIs are for amateurs.. thanks iccara.. merry christmas to all

Now onto you, Im pretty sure its safe to say that your comment is backwards, obviously you have no idea what your talking about. I run a show at a local park with 63 boards, all of them connected to, Yep you guessed it GFCI's. only one of them gave me problems in rain but you know what that told me... Hmmm lets think about this one for a second. OH! yes thats right it must have tripped because there is an issue somewhere, what to you know it was a string of lights not pluged all the way into the socket and was shorting to ground. oh and now onto round three.... guess what! I am by no means an amateur what so ever. and if you are an electrician like you state that you are, if you are licensed you would know the nec code and you would know that it is against code not installing a gfci in an outdoor environment.

P.S.

merry christmas to all

[displaysinmotion_will]

double post

[melwelch]

You do not call people who disagree with you names... Stop trying to scare new people into thinking their world will come to an end if they do not have GFICs...

GFICs only work if amperage has gone to ground... All of you who have cut corners with lamp cord (SPT) the only way a person will trip a GIFC is if they become the ground... Being exposed to the Hot and Neutral will not trip a GFIC...

Merry Christmas and Good will to all....

[displaysinmotion_will]

im pretty sure if you read through my post again, I didnt call anyone names

just simply stating facts

[displaysinmotion_will]

melwelch wrote:

GFICs only work if amperage has gone to ground... All of you who have cut corners with lamp cord (SPT) the only way a person will trip a GIFC is if they become the ground... Being exposed to the Hot and Neutral will not trip a GFIC...

Not true, A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral, If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. Current is different than amperage, a line itself does not have any amperage whatsoever. you have to have something on that line to create amperage.

[Dale W]

Talons wrote:

Everything was working fine and then after a snowfall and a huge rain and wind storm, 3 channels stay on at 50% and then out the blue "MURPHY" has to show up and trip my GFI. I tried several different things, restarted computer, checked channels on software, unplugged the affected channels and nothing.....Its a very sad day as I just turned off the lights and computer for tonight until I get this figured out. Any ideas?

If your GFCIs are tripping, it is because you are grounding out and leaking voltage. Check all wiring from your outlets to the controllers and then from the controllers to the end of the circuit. If you are ground out in a wet area, you will trip the GFCIs.

I have found that if you lift the plugs off the ground, it will reduce the probability of the outlet tripping.

Otherwise you will need to move to a non-GFCI outlet ---- and that is a source of great controversy and near heresy in the decorating community.

Good luck and hope this helps:

How I keep the plugs off the ground:

I took a piece of coat hanger, cut it into 10" lengths, bent it into a small "U" with a long tail. Put the long tail into the ground leaving the "U" about 5 " above the dirt. Put the plug in the "U". Do this on both sides of the plug.

Your hanger would look something like this:


U
I
I
I

Years ago, you could buy these in stores. The bag of 25 sold for a few $$. But a coat hanger would work just as well.

[displaysinmotion_will]

is your keyboard on fire yet?

[Guest guest]

Dale W wrote:

Talons wrote:

Everything was working fine and then after a snowfall and a huge rain and wind storm, 3 channels stay on at 50% and then out the blue "MURPHY" has to show up and trip my GFI. I tried several different things, restarted computer, checked channels on software, unplugged the affected channels and nothing.....Its a very sad day as I just turned off the lights and computer for tonight until I get this figured out. Any ideas?

If your GFCIs are tripping, it is because you are grounding out and leaking voltage. Check all wiring from your outlets to the controllers and then from the controllers to the end of the circuit. If you are ground out in a wet area, you will trip the GFCIs.

I have found that if you lift the plugs off the ground, it will reduce the probability of the outlet tripping.

Otherwise you will need to move to a non-GFCI outlet ---- and that is a source of great controversy and near heresy in the decorating community.

Good luck and hope this helps:

How I keep the plugs off the ground:

I took a piece of coat hanger, cut it into 10" lengths, bent it into a small "U" with a long tail. Put the long tail into the ground leaving the "U" about 5 " above the dirt. Put the plug in the "U". Do this on both sides of the plug.

Your hanger would look something like this:


U
I
I
I

Years ago, you could buy these in stores. The bag of 25 sold for a few $$. But a coat hanger would work just as well.

I used the plastic stakes you can get to hold down blow-ups...HD, and I'm sure others, has boxes of them for a reasonable price. Push the plastic spike into the ground, elevate the plug connection, and tyrap it to the plastic stake.

Have had zero GFCI trips so far...

[Max-Paul]

Well said Jeff and I think that the naesayers will have a hard time refuting your well thought out statements.

+1 to what Jeff said so well.

And I like the idea of using those plastic tent pegs. But in a pinch I think the coat hanger idea will work to. Just a small chance they too might conduct some stray current to ground still.

[-klb-]

Several places usually have plastic multi purpose light holder stakes. I think they are supposed to hold rope light, C7, etc. Something like 25 stakes for $4. Seems like I could not find them last year, but have seen plenty of them this year.

[Guest guest]

I had some of those from years past, didn't see any this year. Was going to post the link for the ones I used this year, but can't see them on line. They are item 927-153...

[Talons]

I wish I had a Lowes near our town.....I might have to look up the product and build my own.....

[Guest Don Gillespie]

Talons wrote:

I wish I had a Lowes near our town.....I might have to look up the product and build my own.....

easy to build something like this take a wood stake drive into the ground set your extension cords on top of it if you want you can make a notch on the top so the cord won't blow off in the wind

[iccarakid]

kingsislandtechservices wrote:

melwelch wrote:

GFICs only work if amperage has gone to ground... All of you who have cut corners with lamp cord (SPT) the only way a person will trip a GIFC is if they become the ground... Being exposed to the Hot and Neutral will not trip a GFIC...

Not true, A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral, If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. Current is different than amperage, a line itself does not have any amperage whatsoever. you have to have something on that line to create amperage.

i'm no electrician... but you just contradicted yourself...

first you say "A jump in amperage is not going to trip a GFCI. A GFCI detects a leakage of current fron the circuit that is being drawn from."

Then you say "A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral, If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. "

Amperage is the unit of measurement of Current ... the presence of flowing current inherently means there is amperage. I know... i looked it up on google and compared it on yahoo and only then did i actually call to mind all i learned from my highschool major, physics. Thanks for the tip Jeff - but you might consider putting a GFCI on your train of thought, we wouldn't want you short your neurons.

What is an imbalance of flowing current result in? an imbalance of amperage... That i just figured out on my own. i promise i didn't google that...

Third thing... What do you suppose will happen when hot and neutral are shorted by moisture?... and let me remind you that the moisture on your plugs isn't distilled water - it's more like mountain dew - so don't give me the line about water not being an electrolyte, cuz when rain falls it's anything but distilled.