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My mini trees are tripping my GFCI (PC version)


Robert Burton

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Wish it would quit raining here in GA!
Ok, here is what I have. I have one controller that keeps tripping the GFI. I have narrowed it down to my 1st 8 mini trees (of 16). This is channels 1 to 8. I have went through and water proofed the best I could...with as wet as it is..., changed out extension cords, change sockets on the double socket for that circuit...still trips it WITH THIS CONFIGURATION.

I can go to the hardware utility and put a check mark in the 1st 8 channels. Tell it to "chase"...works fine. Click on the first 4 channels, full on at 100%...fine. Last 8 with it full at 100%...fine. Then I started doing different configurations. Could get up to 6 mini trees at any one time..full 100% on...works fine. Add that 7th tree, it trips.

Now again, they are wet and will probably be wet again before the night is out. Works fine with it is dry. Even just a little bit wet...fine. Just can't keep waiting for rain delays. Have too many people coming by to see them :-(

Ideas? Plastic wrap around the trees? ;-)
Thanks

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Ok, do these lights have long extention wires going to them? If these extention cords are somewhat bundled (running about the same path). I got a little suggestion that should not cost to much. Wood is not the best but might work for a test. Pound some sticks or like tomatoe stacks in the ground and tie the extention cords on the stacks so that they are off of the ground. Believe me, you would be surprised how much Ma can be coupled via capassive coupling to ground. This is just what kind of current that is causing your GFI to trip. Now dont just do the 8 channels. Do all extention leads that are on that GFI. Now the leads do not need to be that far off of the ground. Just a few inches will do.

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Robert,

Yep, these rainy nights in GA are a pain. My minitrees are causing heartburn, too. I'm ready to insulate the bottoms, but if I don't cover them to stop the path between the wires and the cage, I'm afraid I'll defeat the purpose of the GFCI's and have live cages during the show.

Opinions?

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The problem I have is that the bottom hoop is cut off so I can stake them into the ground. My front yard is a little slanted and needed to level them off. Am very frustrated especially when visitors come by when your working on them...and ask why they are not running! Fortunately it was a gentleman I know at the local NWS that I volunteer with (ham radio op.). He completely understood and said he will be back Wednesday. Now I may have to take the day off when the weather is good to all that has been mentioned!

Ya know.... Think I am going to get some "Plastic Dip" , dip these legs into the can, let them dry... and shove em' in the ground!

Wow...stake ALL the cords above the ground...ok. Will have to try that to on this controller. However I am tempting just to shove that puppy into a NON GFI socket!

Errrrr. Rain, Rain go away!!!

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Well Robert I am sharing with you for free all of the reading I have done on both this board and over on P.C. and serveral people have reported two main things that have helped them. One is to get the say mini tree off of the ground be it via plastic or wood stakes. And to get the extention leads from the controller to the display elements off of the ground. I think that most GFI will trip with just about 10mA of leakage current.
I suppose you will do what ever you think you need to do to get your display to work. I am just offering up free advise that I know about or have read what others are doing. Then too I am not having any GFI problems.

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Tonight I had enough of the minitrees being offline, so I cut 20" round mats for each of them from scraps of vinyl flooring, with a hole in the middle for the tiedown. Worked like a charm. Thanks!

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Aaaaaaaaaahhhh. Another rainy night in GA!!!

I have 16 mini trees with the bottom hoop cut off. Actually has 5 legs, staked down in the ground. The ground actually slops to the road slightly...so it helps me make it look even.

However now....wonder if I am going to take "Plastic Dip" to these suckers!. Wish I could devise something with some sort of capacitor thingy, or something! Just not to let that stupid thing see ground!

Errrrr. I am still going to have to use this "stake" method with the mini trees I build next year. Guess I will have to insulate the legs somehow, some way.

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I have all my mini trees sitting up on PVC pipes that are layed on the ground... only trip in super HEAVY rain that has lasted all day...

I also have all my yard lights up on grids too .. so far its been the best year for me as far as GFCI trips.. we had a couple bad rainstorms and i was able to run through most of it just fine although the last one we had 65 MPH winds so I stayed off that night..

my own personal feeling is that people dont really go out looking at lights in blinding rainstorms so its not so bad to shut down on those nights
-Christopher

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eldoradoboy wrote:

so far its been the best year for me as far as GFCI trips...

-Christopher

We haven't had a single GFCI trip this year(knock on wood!). We spread the load out between more GFCI outlets and raised up all our connections 2" to 3" off the ground with C7/C9 yard stakes we bought on 90% clearance from Target last year.

The only thing shutting us down so far is high wind and icy roads. I think we've only been off 3, maybe 4 nights which is not too bad for where we live imho.

-Jeff
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The best solution is get rid of the GFIs... You do not need them... Do not wrap your electricial connections... Problem solved.....

Here in NC we have been having plenty of rain and NO problems with electricity... GFIs are not needed and are the BIGGEST source for problems.... Let it rain...

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Aren't there an average of something like 2 amusement park workers per year killed working on decorative lighting that is not GFCI protected? And you would think those would be the kind of people who know exactly how to be safe around electricity.

As for extra risk from isolating the frames from the ground, no, you are not defeating the purpose of the GFCI. You are just delaying its action until a path that you are more likely to care about comes into existence. If a person who is similarly insulated touches the frame, they really are not going to be at any risk. If they are not well insulated, and somewhat grounded, they will create a ground fault, and the GFCI should trip as they establish the connection, and most likely trip well before any problems would arise. I believe that the GFCI has a required maximum time before disconnect that is based on keeping the exposure short enough to not cause harm.

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-klb- wrote:

Aren't there an average of something like 2 amusement park workers per year killed working on decorative lighting that is not GFCI protected?


Just like man made global this is a false statement....

GFIs are a bigger pain than they are worth..... Just look at all the posts from the uninformed.... Where are the stories of people each year being electricuted by Christmas lights?... Make up all the statements you want, but facts are facts.... How many people in the last 50 years have been killed by Christmas lights??? I have not heard of any. I have had Christmas lights up each year for over 50 years with NO GFI.... Just this last weekend I was out in the rain hooking up live extention cords not a shock a twinge NOTHING! People are assuming GFIs are needed...
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