# fluorescent light keep tripping breaker?



## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

cool


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## rma1998 (Jun 27, 2010)

johnathanmeade said:


> Now if I turn the light on without the bulbs, it doesn't trip and I can proceed to put the bulbs in and it works fine.


Just do that every morning then!


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Why is the lighting circuit on a gfci breaker to start with ??


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

Not sure. Was like that before I showed up.


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## Supfoolitschris (Jan 29, 2013)

Had a kindof similar problem to this a couple weeks ago

A three lamp light kit on a ceiling fan would come on and stay on for 3 seconds then make a click and go off. U could immediately turn the switch back on and it would do the same thing. You could unscrew one bulb and it would stay on. But not all three. 

There was a remote transmitter inside the kit. The HO had no idea where the remote was so i just yanked it out and its still workin 

Thats why i get paid the big bucks. :thumbsup:


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## runruh (Sep 19, 2012)

I had a four T8 lamp, electronic ballast fluorescent fixture that tripped the GFCI breaker when the switch was turned on. I changed the ballast and everything was good. Apparently there was a low level ground fault in the first ballast. My supply house covered the part.


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

Well I put two brand new ones in and it tripped on both


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## HawkShock (Nov 27, 2012)

Check to make sure the fixture is wired like it shows on the ballast, all the wiring is poked into the tombstones, try the circuit on a non gfci protected breaker, and if it stays that narrows down the issues.
EDIT: This is all assuming you are QUALIFIED to do such a procedure. If not, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

What brand and model of ballast did the bean counters find for you? If its something like a lights-alot premium super quality universal good for everything made in china ballast with a 5.99 sticker on it, throw it away and go to your local supply house and get what they have. Try again.


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## cultch (Aug 2, 2011)

Sounds like it could be a tombstone. Also I would take a known good light and use it's ballast. You can remove it from gfi circuit? Compare the ballasts and bulbs (the 1 from the good light and the 1 from your prob ligh..are they the same?)


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

Supfoolitschris said:


> Had a kindof similar problem to this a couple weeks ago
> 
> A three lamp light kit on a ceiling fan would *come on and stay on for 3 seconds then make a click and go off. *U could immediately turn the switch back on and it would do the same thing. You could *unscrew one bulb and it would stay on*. But not all three.
> 
> ...


Bet you the problem was it was overlamped and the click was an internal protector in the remote unit. :thumbsup: Especially if it was less than two years old because they have mandated the use of lower-wattage lamps in ceiling fans (which is why new kits must have candelabra bases instead of the medium base.)


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

How sensitive are these watt limiters? I was thinking the other day about 120v lamps. Around here we usually see 122-125 v to neutral. So a 60 watt 120v lamp is probably 62-63 watt x3 lamps would put the figure 10 watts over the limit.


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## Wirenut2266 (Nov 3, 2012)

I had same issue with some garbage fixtures from Menards that were purchased. They were on a Gfci as well, next too a indoor spa tub at a hotel. I got rid of Gfci in panel to regular breaker, added a Gfi faceless device next to panel to feed lights, all was well. I will bet garbage ballasts, or poor connection at lamp conn.....Still a pain in the azz!


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Check your wiring, I'd bet the farm you have a ballast lead mistaken for a line wire. Bring a new ballast for the repair.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Why not have a real electrician come in and check this out?


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

Thanks for help.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

johnathanmeade said:


> Its the initial start up with the bulbs in that trips it.


If you think its the start up surge blowing the breaker out,
Make sure you have the correct type of breaker !
You need a slow reacting type of breaker,
These are designed to cope with a high current
start up surge.
We (aussies) call them slow reacting or slow blow
Not sure what you americans call them,
I think you call them "type 2"

Some breakers can handle it and some cant.
yours probably cant.


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## CanadianSparky (May 10, 2011)

Speedy Petey said:


> Why not have a real electrician come in and check this out?


Why do that when he can come here and use members knowledge which took many years of hard work to obtain so he can do it himself?


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

CanadianSparky said:


> Why do that when he can come here and use members knowledge which took many years of hard work to obtain so he can do it himself?


Guaranty he has three managers screaming at him to "get it done" and that they can't afford to hire no 'lectrician.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> Guaranty he has three managers screaming at him to "get it done" and that they can't afford to hire no 'lectrician.


Some case they will get someone in house and get this stuff done on their own dime espcally with the OP's situation and the OP's part the key issue is that they have outsourced contractor whom they done it and I do not know what they done with it.

But some of the ballast I know it can trip the GFCI/RCD if done right.

Merci,
Marc


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

CanadianSparky said:


> Why do that when he can come here and use members knowledge which took many years of hard work to obtain so he can do it himself?


I don't have a problem with it if he is legally allowed to do the work. Pa has some funny laws with licensing etc.

I would not have the lights on a gfci for one and I would check the load on the circuit. It is also possible you have a bad ballast or it is wired incorrectly. Gfci in a commercial building with fluorescent lights is not a good idea.


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

In pa you don't need a lisence. I am certified but only been doing this for a short time. The place I work has no training program. Just learn as you go and don't kill yourslf or anyone else. Just looking for some help. I replaced the tombstones, and ballast. I will try putting on a different circuit. Thank you people who answered without being ignorant.


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## HawkShock (Nov 27, 2012)

johnathanmeade said:


> In pa you don't need a lisence. I am certified but only been doing this for a short time. The place I work has no training program. Just learn as you go and don't kill yourslf or anyone else. Just looking for some help. I replaced the tombstones, and ballast. I will try putting on a different circuit. Thank you people who answered without being ignorant.


Did you ever open one of the working ones to see what the guys with the skills to get it to work did?
And to clarify, we aren't supposed to help DIY guys, and your apparent lack of knowledge made some guys doubt your status.


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

Yes I did. But the ballast that we have against the ballast that the contractors put in are a diff. Brand.
I apologize for the seemingly stupid question.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

johnathanmeade said:


> I will try putting on a different circuit. Thank you people who answered without being ignorant.


Dont forget to come back and tell us how you solved the problem !


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## HawkShock (Nov 27, 2012)

johnathanmeade said:


> Yes I did. But the ballast that we have against the ballast that the contractors put in are a diff. Brand.
> I apologize for the seemingly stupid question.


So, troubleshooting 101 says look to the obvious solution, one of these things is not like the other type logic.
Isolate the ballast from the frame. This requires keeping the ballast from touching the fixture at all, see if it lights, then touch the ballast to the frame if it does to see if it trips your GFCI. 
A GFCI works by sensing the current coming to and leaving it. and opening when the values are unequal past a certain threshold. So if some of the current returning on the neutral is leaking through the EGC (green) or the conduit and building, it will trip. So, if you isolate the ballast, it may prove the problem is in the ballast, if it is wired correctly. DO NOT get between the frame of the light and the frame of the ballast when they are not in contact. 

Fair warning, I have never done this, but it is how I would try to prove it.


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## acro (May 3, 2011)

I had a light that was burning just fine - 400w mh. Turned the breaker off for less than a minute, then when I turned it back on, the light trips the breaker. Even after allowing it to cool.

Ballast went bad. Stuff happens

Replace it and move on, I say.


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

Shockdoc said:


> Check your wiring, I'd bet the farm you have a ballast lead mistaken for a line wire. Bring a new ballast for the repair.


Not likely, he says it works if you put the lamps in after its turned on


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

If some of the lights have capacitors in them,
Then the inital charge up at turn on is causing the problem !
Could be two things - purely too much current,
in which case a different type of breaker could help.
Or leakage in the capacitors is triggering the GFCI.
If you dont need the GFCI in a lighting circuit,
then get rid of it !


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

I thought it was against osha regs to have lighting on a gfci?


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## johnathanmeade (Mar 30, 2013)

It was most definitely the GFCI. Thank you very much.


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