Electricians, I need your 2 cents

[EpicWin]

So I just set up a frag tank in my garage. I currently rent the house I am in and it has always had an issue of when it rains it trips the GFI that runs all of the plugs in the garage. Sometimes even the sprinkler system will do it. What does this mean? Can I demand the property management company fix it from a safety stand point?
Thanks

 

[Madreef]

How old is the house? Is the garage original? Wiring original? Photo of your main or sub panel that the gfci breaker is on. Sounds like a grounding issue possibly.

 

[Bartmmackey]

It can mean that there is too much humidity in the room, therefore it can "sweat" and will trip the GFI. It sometimes even happens in some kitchens when folks boil something, create too many steam droplets and will trip the breaker. Is the garage insulated and sealed tight(ish)?

The only other item can be an outlet with reversed polarity. Usually that will be a tough one to make it past inspection. You buy a cheap polarity tester from hardware store to verify that isn't the issue.

 

[EpicWin]

House built in 1998. Garage is original. Is a pic of the breaker box what u are looking for? I live in San Antonio and it can get super humid. The garage has 2 normal sized vents to the outside for air circulation.

 

[mrfixer]

you dont need a gfi in the garage unless you walk barefoot with the floor wet and play with electrical appliances.
You install a gfi near a sink because water and cold water pipes are a natural ground.So if you have a electrical appliance in your hand and it is defective and you touch a cold water pipe or are barefoot you could get electrocuted.
MOST HOMES DONT HAVE GFI OUTLETS IN THE GARAGE .
YOU ALSO COULD HAVE A BAD GFI
you need to check the hot side of the line 120 volt side and make sure it is insulated well so no voltage can bleed to the ground.

 

[skinz78]

Code states that all garage outlets need to be gfi protected....

I think there is an issue with the sprinkler system and thats tripping the gfi. Try unplugging the sprinkler and see if it still trips. Just plug the sprinkler in when the yard needs watering and keep an eye on it. I would also contact the landlord and notify them of the issue.

 

[mrfixer]

no code in chicago

 

[Reefing Madness]

Water is getting into a circuit thats attached to the garage lines. Find out where and your in business.

 

[skinz78]

no code in chicago

Yes there is, the National Electrical Code applies everywhere in the USA. I'm a licensed electrician, I do this stuff for a living.

 

[Reef Pets]

Being a licensed electrician I can assure you that in 1998 when his house was built that national code required a GFCI in the garage and that includes each and every city in the USA.

Since you rent the house I would suggest contacting the owner to fix the issue.

 

[Clearwater]

Is the sprinkler system plug outside? Sound like the GFCI is doing it for a reason being it only does it when it rains or when the sprinklers are on. Waterproof cover?

 

[Eggs]

My garage (house built in 1996) doesn't have a GFI receptacle in garage, but the outlets are wired to a GFI "upstream" going to the breaker; which provides GFI protection for the garage outlets. You could see if the owner can move the GFI receptacle out of the garage and into the house, but on the same circuit to maintain GFI protection in the garage.

 

[Eggs]

Following up on the idea that the sprinkler tripping the GFI; I had a treadmill that was plugged directly into a GFI and it would always trip. I moved the GFI upstream and plugged the treadmill into a standard receptacle and that eliminated the problem. Those small portable heaters and various aquarium equipment also trip GFI's easily if plugged directly into them. If wired correctly, standard outlets after the GFI receptacle will have that protection.

 

[EpicWin]

Ok so what I'm taking out of this is I can't just replace the gfi with a standard plug. The gfi trips even when the equipment isn't plugged directly into it. It's a bad situation because my garage wil get to 95 degrees and with no power there is no chiller.

 

[Reefing Madness]

GFI could also be old, they do have a life span.

 

[Decalf]

First you need to find out every single outlet that is on that circuit. That circuit could include the outside plugs which may be getting wet when it rains or the sprinkler comes on. It should not but thats not always the case. Check all the outside outlets for bad seals or broken covers. Im betting your looking in the wrong place

 

[ReeferBob]

Why not just replace the GFI. It takes like 3 minutes and costs about $10.

 

[Mike J.]

I'm a general contractor with an electricians license. I can assure you that your landlord is responsible for your electrical issues because of safety reasons. Obviously, you have an outside receptical that is getting wet; need to replace it with a water tight one.

 

[EpicWin]

I'm a general contractor with an electricians license. I can assure you that your landlord is responsible for your electrical issues because of safety reasons. Obviously, you have an outside receptical that is getting wet; need to replace it with a water tight one.

this turned out to be the answer I needed.. AN outside outlet was not properly sealed and sprinklers/rain were getting in and tripping the breaker. Thanks a million!

 

[saltyphish]

It's called the NEC code( National Electrical Code) All states must use these codes as a minimum for all electrical applications. A state may however upgrade requirements on each code as long as it meets the minimum requirements. As Skinz said Garage receptacles must be GFCI or linked to a GFCI outlet. Or use a GFCI breaker.

no code in chicago