SPT-2 Wire

[Orville]

  For what it,s worth from a new guy...I had trouble with GFI,s myself...Then I discovered that there is a indoor and a outdoor version...Outdoor version is a bit more expensive...But it has solved all my tripping issues..

Actually there is no indoor or outdoor specific GFCI outlet, it's how it's mounted as to what makes it outdoor or indoor. 

 

Indoors they are just mounted into a standard electrical outlet junction box, outdoors, same GFCI outlet, is mounted inside an weatherproof electric outlet junction box enclosure. 

 

Both are wired exactly the same, one is exposed {indoors} and one is covered {outdoors} to protect it from the elements.  Otherwise all GFCI outlets are pretty much the same, some are more expensive because they may have a higher amperage rating. 

 

However, you should not install a higher amp rating GFCI on a Circuit that is rated less than the GFCI.   If you have a 20 amp circuit, you wouldn't want to put a 40 amp GFCI on it because it may not trip if something happens, you also would not want to put a 10 amp {lower rated} GFCI on a high rated Circuit {20 amp}, because then your GFCI will probably be constantly tripping.    Circuit and GFCI should both be rated the same for best results.

 

Or so I've been told by a relative that says not to do this and is supposedly an licensed electrician.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Orville

[Dave S]

  I will be at a big box store shortly...I will verify what I am almost positive of.. 

[Dave S]

You should be able to buy GFI receptacles marked WR or weather resistant.



Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/electrical-ac-dc/422495-outside-gfci-outlet.html#ixzz2hoPNsCnT

[SparkDr]

FYI - Weather resistant GFCI's are made with UV stabilized engineering thermoplastic for high cold impact resistance and have stainless steel straps and mounting screws.  Other than that, the internals remain the same.  All personal protection GFCI's, regardless of manufacturer or installation environment, are required to have a trip range of 4-6 mA and a trip time within .025 seconds of a fault.  There are also equipment rated GFCI's for commercial and industrial applications that have no real purpose for consumers like us, but their ratings are oftentimes sprinkled around the internet just often enough to add confusion to our discussions.

[LORisAwesome]

Sometimes the GFCI tripping is not preventable.  I live in a very rainy town here in Hawaii, we get over 120 inches of rain a year, about 12 inches of rain in the month of December.  Having a photovoltaic system on my roof (the roof is now grounded), my lights installed on the roof will trip the GFCI.

 

Also, the lights on my mega tree also trip it's GFCI as well.  The same goes for my two fireworks.

I just had a solar panel system installed on my roof last week.  They said it should generate 92% of the electricity I use each year.  I can't turn it on yet, I am waiting for the electric company to install a bi-directional meter.

 

How do you like yours?

 

Jerry

[Dave S]

  My response to the GFI problem was by experience only..I am not a electrical engineer..I concede to sparkdr ..

[mjdamico23]

I'm gonna be doing GFCI breakers since the lights will be the only thing on it. And I will take all other advice into preventing unwanted trips ( getting the connections off the ground, outlet covers on the female ends, and try covering as much as possible). I agree that safety comes first, but not just for me, but my kids and even any other people who may come close to the lights/wires. Thanks everyone for your help, advice, and tips!

[m1ke05]

I keep my female ends pointed down, especially in the earlier part of the year where it rains/snows. I too get a period where I feel like ripping my hair out because of the GFI tripping, but it is usually some miscellaneous female end that I missed somewhere in the mix of things. Can be a PITA, but its better to press reset button rather than call you're insurance company because your house burnt down. Just my two cents.  

[stanward]

I just had a solar panel system installed on my roof last week.  They said it should generate 92% of the electricity I use each year.  I can't turn it on yet, I am waiting for the electric company to install a bi-directional meter.

 

How do you like yours?

 

Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,

 

I had mine installed in November of 2011, I love it, as it produces more electricity than I can use (that is the goal as my kids will use more electricity when they get older).

Our electricity rate here is 45cents/kwhr, so the payoff of the system is within 3 years.

 

Oddly enough, I work for the electric utility here, and the process sounds the same where you're at; we advise the customer to not turn on the system until the bi-directional meter is installed.

 

Stan

[LORisAwesome]

Hi Jerry,

 

I had mine installed in November of 2011, I love it, as it produces more electricity than I can use (that is the goal as my kids will use more electricity when they get older).

Our electricity rate here is 45cents/kwhr, so the payoff of the system is within 3 years.

 

Oddly enough, I work for the electric utility here, and the process sounds the same where you're at; we advise the customer to not turn on the system until the bi-directional meter is installed.

 

Stan

Right now there is a really nice incentive in Missouri.  The electric utiliity (AmerenUE in my case) is paying $2.00 per watt for the system.  That accounts for almost half the cost of my installation. Then there is a federal tax incentive for green energy.  I have about a year to come up with the rest, or it can be put on a HELOC at 4%.

 

I've been looking for ways to cut my electricity usage also.  Been installing LED lights when I can.

 

Jerry

[stanward]

Wow, the utility is actually paying for half of the cost of the installation?  That is the first I heard of it.

 

Here, the state of Hawaii pays a portion of the system, I forgot what it was.  And we also take advantage of the federal tax credits as well.

 

The electric utilities here in Hawaii are losing a lot of money due to the recent spike in PV installations.  And it's not just money we're losing, but system stability is in question, as there is a HUGE amount of PV installed on many of our substation circuits.  But that is a topic of another conversation!

Right now there is a really nice incentive in Missouri.  The electric utiliity (AmerenUE in my case) is paying $2.00 per watt for the system.  That accounts for almost half the cost of my installation. Then there is a federal tax incentive for green energy.  I have about a year to come up with the rest, or it can be put on a HELOC at 4%.

 

I've been looking for ways to cut my electricity usage also.  Been installing LED lights when I can.

 

Jerry

[LORisAwesome]

Wow, the utility is actually paying for half of the cost of the installation?  That is the first I heard of it.

 

Here, the state of Hawaii pays a portion of the system, I forgot what it was.  And we also take advantage of the federal tax credits as well.

 

The electric utilities here in Hawaii are losing a lot of money due to the recent spike in PV installations.  And it's not just money we're losing, but system stability is in question, as there is a HUGE amount of PV installed on many of our substation circuits.  But that is a topic of another conversation!

Yes.  I believe it was due to a law that Missouri passed awhile back.  See this link.  http://www.ameren.com/Solar/Pages/RebatesFundsNotifications.aspx

 

Ameren did get the law changed recently, If you accept the rebate, they get control or the SREC's for 10 years.  It is much better to take the rebate though.

 

If I understand it correctly, before the law was changed, you could sell the SREC's back to Ameren which also would have reduced the initial cost of the installation.

 

They also got a gradual phase out of the rebate.  It drops .50 a watt each year starting January 1, 2014.  So next year the rebate drops to $1.50 a watt.

 

Jerry

[Little_b]

Just my 2 cents on the GFCI issue I have found that if the plug is tripping a lot it will wear it down so it trips at even less power variation. I had an issue with this with one of mine and after I changed it out to a new one the constant tripping went away.