GFI in boat dock not working

[tbergman74434]

Had an electrician install electrical in our boat dock, but none of the three square d gfi breakers are now working. I unplugged the overhead door motors. Still the breakers will not reset. Tested hot at all three breakers, and everything in the box looks clean and new, so I doubt lightning strike. Ideas? Could the incoming power line which is direct burial cable which comes in just above the water level, be the cause of tripping? On my way back from the lake, I realized that I had not reset the power. These breakers are post 2003 models, so do they have to be reset by turning off power to them?

I am just a diyer, so any suggesting will be appreciated. Called my electrician but he is, as usual, too swamped to respond...

 

[Megawatt]

Had an electrician install electrical in our boat dock, but none of the three square d gfi breakers are now working. I unplugged the overhead door motors. Still the breakers will not reset. Tested hot at all three breakers, and everything in the box looks clean and new, so I doubt lightning strike. Ideas? Could the incoming power line which is direct burial cable which comes in just above the water level, be the cause of tripping? On my way back from the lake, I realized that I had not reset the power. These breakers are post 2003 models, so do they have to be reset by turning off power to them?

I am just a diyer, so any suggesting will be appreciated. Called my electrician but he is, as usual, too swamped to respond...

From what I understand the breakers are not the problem, go look at the GFCI Outlets, there probably fed from the same breaker. How long ago did your electrician install these GFCI outlets and from experience the problem is probably in maybe the first GFCI outlet. Try and push the reset on the outlets, if that don’t work I would get the original electrician to come and fix the problem. GFCI outlets have transformers in them that detect leaking voltage which causes them to trip. You shouldn’t even be in your breaker panel. Call a real electrician. As far as the breakers being tripped I doubt on all 3 if that’s the case. I can’t say how they are wired but usually 1 breaker controls them.

 

[tbergman74434]

There are no gfi outlets. The breakers are gfi breakers.

 

[Megawatt]

There are no gfi outlets. The breakers are gfi breakers.

How long ago has it been since they was installed ?

 

[Megawatt]

How long ago has it been since they was installed ?

I can’t advise you to since you are a DIY but an electrician could take the wires loose and see if the breakers reset, that would put him on the right course it’s unlikely that all 3 breakers go bad at the same time so your problem is probably at the outlets or the wires feeding them. Please don’t go in you panel!!!

 

[Bobster]

I can’t advise you to since you are a DIY but an electrician could take the wires loose and see if the breakers reset, that would put him on the right course it’s unlikely that all 3 breakers go bad at the same time so your problem is probably at the outlets or the wires feeding them. Please don’t go in you panel!!!

Is there no other way of testing a GFI? Like with a tester?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I'm not quite clear on the sequence of events.

a) When was the installation done?
b) When did the breakers stop working?
C) Did all three stop working at the same time?
d) What does 'not working' mean anyway... the outlets & connected equipment are dead even when the breaker is reset, or the breakers won't reset, or they reset and immediately trip, or what? Do they all behave the same way?

Are there any circuits from that panel still working normally? Do they have GFCIs?

 

[Megawatt]

Is there no other way of testing a GFI? Like with a tester?

I can’t advise you to since you are a DIY but an electrician could take the wires loose and see if the breakers reset, that would put him on the right course it’s unlikely that all 3 breakers go bad at the same time so your problem is probably at the outlets or the wires feeding them. Please don’t go in you panel!!!

Not that I’m aware of
Where are you from in the US ?

 

[Megawatt]

Is there no other way of testing a GFI? Like with a tester?

Not that I’m aware of

 

[DPG]

Not that I’m aware of

Surely this can't be the case? No testers available to do this?

 

[Bobster]

Not that I’m aware of
Where are you from in the US ?

Born an raised in the UK.

Have a place in NYC for when I'm over. Split my time between there and Germany. However jobs in the US jump from state to state.

Did quite a lot of work at a chemical plant, a couple of hours from Asheville NC, quite liked that city! Visited a few times in my spare time.

Also did some work in Mt.Airy NC for a company making parts for space shuttles.

 

[Megawatt]

Surely this can't be the case? No testers available to do this?

I have a plug in tester for regular receptacles which test open neutrals, equipment ground, and polarity but I’ve never tried it on GFCI

 

[Bobster]

I have a plug in tester for regular receptacles which test open neutrals, equipment ground, and polarity but I’ve never tried it on GFCI

I should add, UK RCDs are tested in the UK with an MFT.

Not only do we test the mechanical push to test button on the unit they also test by introducing an earth leakage current at 1/2 times the rated trip current, 1 times the rated trip current and 5 times the trip current. The test current is injected at 0 degs and 180deg.

There is also a ramp test function, that checks at what level the RCD operates at, to find an overly sensitive module.

There are specific times the RCD has to operate, or not operate in for each test.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

In the UK we test all RCDs / GFCIs using calibrated testers during routine inspection and testing, and whenever an RCD or its protected circuit is replaced or altered. Tests include trip time in milliseconds at 0.5x 1x & 5x rated trip current with injected current pulses of both polarities. Most testers also offer a ramp test to find the threshold current at which the device trips, although this is not required by the regulations if the tripping times are OK.

On receptacle circuit these tests would be in addition to the normal loop impedance tests that verify that the normal breaker will respond correctly to faults other than to ground. So at every outlet, the behaviour of the circuit with both ground faults and regular short-circuits are separately verified at every inspection.

Hmm, post crossed with Rob, they say great minds think alike.

 

[DPG]

From what I've seen on here, the US seem very lax on testing. I'm thinking earth loop testing and RCD testing particularly.