Breaker tripping

[UncommonSense]

I think it’s an ARC fault (just a simple on/off switch) but the outlets are GFCI)

possibly see if you can find a circuit that has a voltage closer to 120v?

You don’t want to run things at 109v, you’ll just start killing equipment…

 

[mmorrison55]

If yiu are lucky it’s just your outlet that needs to be replaced or looked at.

Did you happen to install them recently? It’s possible that if you did it yourself, you didn’t wire it correctly or you have something lose.

Form a google search of “low voltage on outlet”

How do you fix an outlet with low voltage?


Remove the faceplate to access the outlet wiring and find the ground, neutral and hot voltage wires. Ensure the screws that keep the wiring in place on the outlet are tightened. Loose screws can cause an outlet not putting out full power. Check the wiring for corrosion or burn marks.

 

[UncommonSense]

If yiu are lucky it’s just your outlet that needs to be replaced or looked at.

Did you happen to install them recently? It’s possible that if you did it yourself, you didn’t wire it correctly or you have something lose.

Form a google search of “low voltage on outlet”

How do you fix an outlet with low voltage?


Remove the faceplate to access the outlet wiring and find the ground, neutral and hot voltage wires. Ensure the screws that keep the wiring in place on the outlet are tightened. Loose screws can cause an outlet not putting out full power. Check the wiring for corrosion or burn marks.

It’s a bit alarming that Google doesn’t even mention turning off power before doing this…

 

[jonelder68]

@Miami Reef are you comfortable with electricity? And more importantly do you have a voltage meter?

 

[mmorrison55]

Very true.i would hope that would be a given, but better said and safe than sorry.

Why I rarely mess with electrical myself beyond replacing the occasional outlet or switch.Anything messing around in the panel, and I call someone.

 

[UncommonSense]

@Miami Reef are you comfortable with electricity? And more importantly do you have a voltage meter?

This would have been a good place to start!

I assumed OP didn’t have any electrical testing equipment or prior home electrical skill; sticking to options that don’t have significant safety risks!

I also assume that OP’s WiFi router is likely freaking out right now with the brown out, just as much as OP is; frantically moving electrical around!

@Miami Reef — do a double check of equipment status after the frantic changeover/testing! It’s all too easy to forget to plug a heater/etc back in!

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m on the phone trying to get a new electrician to come. This is beyond my scope, but I’m more than willing to pay to get it fixed.

I found a new electrician that is going to come tonight. I’ll keep you posted.

The other electrician we usually work with isn’t helpful. He said he can’t reach the outlet behind the sump; he’d need me to remove the sump to work. He said he can’t just create a new outlet because it will be too much power drawn out.


I called him 3 weeks ago because my light breaker tripped. He reset the breaker and left. I told him I wanted to solve the issue and he said if it happens again, call him.

 

[Miami Reef]

I also assume that OP’s WiFi router is likely freaking out right now with the brown out, just as much as OP is; frantically moving electrical around!

@Miami Reef — do a double check of equipment status after the frantic changeover/testing! It’s all too easy to forget to plug a heater/etc back in!

YES! My WiFi has been absolutely terrible this past week. I couldn’t connect to the IP address on the reefi and kept needing to refresh it. It would sporadically work.

Is that the reason? Wow.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’m on the phone trying to get an electrician to come. This is beyond my scope, but I’m more than willing to pay to get it fixed.

I found a new electrician that is going to come tonight. I’ll keep you posted.

The other electrician we usually work with isn’t helpful. He said he can’t reach the outlet behind the sump; he’d need me to remove the sump to work. He said he can’t just create a new outlet because it will be too much power drawn out.


I called him 3 weeks ago because my light breaker tripped. He reset the breaker and left. I told him I wanted to solve the issue and he said if it happens again, call him.

Yeah.. the old electrician isn’t worth your time… I’ve seen my good friend whom runs his own company do mind-bending things to access electrical and even panel supply wires… your guy just wants the easy money!!

If this low voltage issue is affecting your entire home (every circuit) this is indeed an emergency!

If all circuits are at too-low voltage; don’t run home appliances until your electrician has taken a poke at it tonight!

Also, start making notes/collecting receipts for a possible insurance claim…

 

[UncommonSense]

YES! My WiFi has been absolutely terrible this past week. I couldn’t connect to the IP address on the reefi and kept needing to refresh it. It would sporadically work.

Is that the reason? Wow.

It probably is, honesly!

 

[IceNein]

Low voltage can only be two things: The grid is feeding you lower than usual voltage, or you have some resistance in series with the outlet that is dropping voltage as heat when you draw power. If it is the latter, you will have normal voltage until power is drawn, and then the voltage will dip.

I would plug the power bar into a different outlet and see if the voltage is different. But no matter how bad the wiring is, an open circuit voltage will be what ever the grid is feeding you. That's just how it works. The voltage doesn't drop until current flows.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

The idea of the usual guy bailing on you in a serious scenario like this is alarming. It’s hard for me to imagine an electrician seeing voltage issues and not being incredibly thorough.

Good luck Miami, hopefully the new guy gets you up and running again. I would consider thinking about back up plans for the next 24 hours, maybe a gas gennie outside to run the important stuff if this becomes a no-power scenario.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

Here’s the apex readout of the equipment. I try to keep things simple.

These are all put in a GFCI outlet. All my equipment is plugged into a single outlet, and I’m using both sockets on it.

I moved it to a non GFCI outlet and I’m seeing a caution sign that I’ve never seen before on the apex:

This doesn’t include your lights and heaters. On a 260 gallon, I would not be surprised if you are sitting at 10-12 amps. It’s interesting that this specifically happened when it rains…I am wondering if there is water intrusion at the hookup or around the panel?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Low voltage can only be two things: The grid is feeding you lower than usual voltage, or you have some resistance in series with the outlet that is dropping voltage as heat when you draw power.

There’s a lot of well-meaning but dangerous advice in this thread. Low voltage at a receptacle under load, or not, can be caused by several issues, not just low "grid" supply or series resistance. A lifted neutral, shared neutral fault, or ground fault, or other serious issues are all possibilities.

None of you, save Paul B, myself or a few others on this forum have the knowledge, experience or qualifications to troubleshoot this issue. I can't speak for Paul or the others, but there are too many possible issues here to diagnose over the internet, when the OP has the ability and means to call a qualified electrician.

This isn’t a nuisance trip. The OP has moved equipment on and off the circuit, and the breaker still trips. That means there’s an overload, a fault, or a failed breaker. The trips may be the result of the low voltage, but guessing the root cause over the internet is dangerous, as is repeatedly resetting the breaker. Full stop.

Unless the OP is in a remote camp without access to a qualified electrician, this simply isn't something to troubleshoot over the internet. A person with has stated twice that he has no electrical knowledge, has no business poking around with a meter or diagnosing this type of issue based on random forum advice. It is serious safety risk.

No offense meant to anybody here, I understand everyone is trying to help in good faith. In situations like this, it is best left to a local hands-on expert.


Edited - for clarity. Not trying to offend anybody.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The other electrician we usually work with isn’t helpful. He said he can’t reach the outlet behind the sump; he’d need me to remove the sump to work. He said he can’t just create a new outlet because it will be too much power drawn out. I called him 3 weeks ago because my light breaker tripped. He reset the breaker and left. I told him I wanted to solve the issue and he said if it happens again, call him.

Translation - he want's nothing to do with your situation. He either knows there are issues that he has ignored in the past (or maybe created) -- or simply doesn't want the hassle for the money -- as he knows that one way or the other it is not going to be an easy call.

 

[BeanAnimal]

First is it a standard breaker, arc fault or GFCI breaker in your panel?

LOL I missed your post :)

I guess I lied, it was #12... so I didn't make it to #15 before i decided to reply!

 

[Reefering1]

I got 15 posts in I don't see where a single person asked if it was standard breaker, AFCI, GFCI or combo. What brand of panel or its age, etc. Nobody asked if anything smelled, or asked the OP to smell around.. etc. Nobody asked who put the circuits in and nobody asked their age. Yet, we have people taking all kinds of wild guesses as the the problem

Ahem..

How old is the house? What kind of panel?

But I fully agree with your sentiment.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Ahem..

But I fully agree with your sentiment.

I skimmed the first page pretty quickly - as I was concerned after the first few posts. I know everyone is doing their best to help. Some electrical issues are easy to pinpoint and advise on, some are not. The repeated trips, low voltage alert and electrician's response are rather concerning. So, I decided to try and put a nail in this before it got too far. I would hate to learn that the OP or his family were hurt or his home was damaged due to well meant, but poor Internet advice... well meaning or not :)

 

[Reefering1]

I skimmed the first page pretty quickly - as I was concerned after the first few posts. I know everyone is doing their best to help. Some electrical issues are easy to pinpoint and advise on, the repeated trips, low voltage alert and electricians response are rather concerning. So I decided to try and put a nail in this before it got too far. I would hate to learn that the OP or his family were hurt or his home was damaged due to well meant, but poor inrternet advice... well meaning or not :)

IME, the only way for op to figure this out safely is with a thermal imager to look for a hot spot indicating a voltage drop. Plugging into different circuits/ dimming lights would help determine if it's isolated to a couple circuits or building wide. 1st thought was poor nuetral/ground bond or breaker. If electrician says another circuit would draw too much, I'm imagining a old cutler hammer panel full of brakers with no open spaces, possibly a older/remodeled Fl home. Andrew took care of the really old ones so I'm guessing it's built in the 80's. 90s and newer should have a 200a, likely, Square D panel than nobody is actually maxing out...

 

[BeanAnimal]

Creative, but not really applicable. Any competent electrician would start by checking voltages at the panel and receptacles. Line-to-line, line-to-neutral, neutral-to-ground, etc.

Depending on what they find, they would also check at the meter socket or in some cases as far upstream as the bugs (connectors) on the service drop. Depending on AHJ that may or may not be the utilities responsibility.

Thermal imaging might find a hot spot but it's not a primary diagnostic tool for residential single phase systems. In fact, I would not trust a general electrician that took one out of the toolbox before a meter.

But, the OP has no electrical background. They should not be probing receptacles, rewiring outlets, or pulling panel covers based on advice from a forum. It is a quick way to win a Darwin Award.

This needs an in person evaluation by a licensed electrician :)