Breaker question - Why is this happening?

[AJ800]

I am replacing a Florescent light with a vanity style light(3-60w bulbs) in a closet that recently remodeled into a mud room. However, once installed, the light trips the breaker. I have tried everything and can't seem to figure out why this is happening. I know the Florescent light is a very very low ampage light, but the breaker trips as soon as I try to turn the breaker on. It's not when I attempt to turn the new light on, but when I try to flip the breaker on immediatly after I compelte the wiring.

All other lights/outlets on the same circuit are unused/off when attempting to turn the breaker back on as well. Is it possible that it triggers the breaker due to too many amps? If so, how does it know the # of amps, if everything is off while testing?

I'd also like to add that there are 8 outlets and 11 other lights on this same circuit, however, during the test they were all turned off.


TIA

[giddonah]

My diagnosis: Direct Short

I'm betting you have some wires wired together that shouldn't be. Somewhere, you have a neutral wired with a hot, and as soon as you energize, you have a direct short, which trips the breaker. It has nothing to do with the load of the bulbs. There is no way to tell you how to fix this without looking at it. Check your wiring again. I'd bet it's your switch leg.

[HDNord]

I'm not an electrician but it's my guess that you have a direct short in the wires you hooked up. Black (hot) to white or black to ground. 3-60 watt blubs will be less than 2 amps so you are not overloading the circuit.

[tooltroll]

Yup, sounds like you wired the hot to the ground or neutral. I see another problem, though: If you've got 8 outlets and 11 lights on that circuit already, you should split it into 2 circuits. Most areas allow only 12 devices per circuit, and you're already over the limit. I suggest putting the lights on one, and the outlets on another: that way, if you plug in a heater (for example) and trip the outlet circuit, the lights are still on to find the panel by.

[AJ800]

well, i was wrong on the # of outlets... there are only two outlets not the 8 that I previously mentioned.

As far as the wiring goes, I've double checked it and wired it several times to make sure and even tested the supply wiring and it's all correct. I even wired thte new light in a different room to rule out the light and the light worked just fine.

I rewired the florescent light just to see and sure enough it worked fine. I'm stumped on why this is not working.

Any other thoughts?

[Vector]

It's likely a short in the fixture you're trying to install then.

Do you have a multimeter? If so, check the resistance between the hot and ground wires and the host and neutral wires. It should be infinate in all cases, if it's not, the fixture itself is faulty.

[AJ800]

I installed the fixture in a different room and it worked just fine.

[giddonah]

And on the 8th day God created electricians.

[Vector]

Does one circuit have GFCI and the other not?

[AJ800]

Well, after trying just about everything i decided not to connect the supplied ground wire and now the light works. I grounded the fixture ground wire to the mounting plate, but did not connect the supplied ground. Why would this be? Being that the orig. light was a Florescent light have anything to do with it? I'm still miffed...

[giddonah]

that doesn't sound safe. The ground wire is there to provide a safer path for current in the event of a fault. Just attaching the fixture's ground wire to the housing does nothing unless the housing itself is grounded. If you're having a problem with the ground connected, disconnecting it does not solve the problem, but makes a dangerous situation possible. You need an electrician to come look at this. Wiring is not always as simple as it seems.

[giddonah]

One last thing though, do post the solution to your problem, it sounds like an odd problem and I'm curious (as I suppose others are).

[AJ800]

that doesn't sound safe. The ground wire is there to provide a safer path for current in the event of a fault. Just attaching the fixture's ground wire to the housing does nothing unless the housing itself is grounded. If you're having a problem with the ground connected, disconnecting it does not solve the problem, but makes a dangerous situation possible. You need an electrician to come look at this. Wiring is not always as simple as it seems.


I plan to have an electician take a look at it... it is very strange. The ground wire was used for the orig. florescent light, which makes the situation even more confusing.

[Vector]

It's not the ground wire, it's got to be the fixture. Somehow the fixture is leaking current from the hot to the ground and tripping the breaker. You didn't say if this is a GFCI breaker or not. I'm thinking it is. I hope so, because now if the fixture is doing what I think it is, and there is no ground wire, then the metal structure of the fixture is potentially electrified and dangerous.

I would replace the fixture. Assuming it's new from any reputable vendor, you should be able to exchange it no questions asked.

[AJ800]

I hope so, because now if the fixture is doing what I think it is, and there is no ground wire, then the metal structure of the fixture is potentially electrified and dangerous.

I would replace the fixture. Assuming it's new from any reputable vendor, you should be able to exchange it no questions asked.

Well, I thought the same thing, but when I installed it in a different room with a ground wire, it worked just fine; no tripping of the breaker. It's got to be in the wiring and not the fixture.

[Vector]

Well, I thought the same thing, but when I installed it in a different room with a ground wire, it worked just fine; no tripping of the breaker. It's got to be in the wiring and not the fixture.

Hence my question about whether or not the circuit is GFCI protected. A current leak to ground less than a breaker's rated load will not trip a standard breaker, but will trip a GFCI protected one.

[AJ800]

Hence my question about whether or not the circuit is GFCI protected. A current leak to ground less than a breaker's rated load will not trip a standard breaker, but will trip a GFCI protected one.


The light is in a closet, so no, it is not GFCI protected.

[giddonah]

that has nothing to do with its being GFCI protected or not. Is the breaker a GFCI breaker? I'd also mention that it could be on the load side of a GFCI outlet, but you say the breaker itself trips.