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How to locate a GFCI fault

DRTDEVL

DRTDEVL

Mothfukle
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
78
Messages
768
Loc
Austin... TX? Nope. Minnesota!
I was pressure washing the front of my house when my electric pressure washer suddenly shut off. I checked its breaker on the plug, and it was still closed. I checked the breaker in the basement, and it was an old school GFCI breaker.
IMG_20240707_130556954.jpg



Every time I would reset it, it immediately tripped. I made sure everything was unplugged from that circuit, and tried it again. It immediately tripped. I thought that possibly the pressure washer had shorted out internally and took the GFCI breaker with it, so I went to home Depot and bought a new breaker. Once I finished installing it, I threw the pole and it immediately tripped this breaker as well.

Now I'm at a loss. This breaker only controls three outlets, none of which have a GFCI switch on them. One is the garage outlet that I was using for the pressure washer. The other is the exterior outlet by the front door, and the third is the exterior outlet on the deck. Nothing is plugged into any of those anymore, and it is tripping the brand new GFCI breaker as well.

Where should I start looking?
 
That is why I specifically did not plug the pressure washer in by the front door, but use the garage outlet instead. The exterior outlet does have a cover, but I cannot guarantee water did not get in there.
 
Yep, I found it. Whatever idiot installed the outlet wrapped it in duct tape instead of electrical tape when putting it inside the metal junction block. The duct tape was moist, allowing it to conduct electricity. I'm about to throw electrical tape on it and put it back together. The moment I pulled the duct tape off and blew air duster on it, the breaker stopped tripping.
 
Last edited:
Little secret from an electrician, we never tape outlets. :flipoff2:

If the screws are tight on the yoke, the wire retaining screws can't touch the box. If they do somehow touch the box it's grounded (you did ground the metal box right?) and will trip the circuit breaker.


The only people who tape outlets are those who actually read the Chinese directions. :flipoff2::lmao:

(These are likely the same people that think taping a wire nut will actually do anything. If you think your nuts need taped you're not doing it right...)
 
Chevy_man said:
Little secret from an electrician, we never tape outlets. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
I was wondering about this reading this thread.
Chevy_man said:
If the screws are tight on the yoke, the wire retaining screws can't touch the box. If they do somehow touch the box it's grounded (you did ground the metal box right?) and will trip the circuit breaker.


The only people who tape outlets are those who actually read the Chinese directions. :flipoff2::lmao:

(These are likely the same people that think taping a wire nut will actually do anything. If you think your nuts need taped you're not doing it right...)
Click to expand...
I never tape wirenuts or outlets either.
 
DRTDEVL said:
Yep, I found it. Whatever idiot installed the outlet wrapped it in duct tape instead of electrical tape when putting it inside the metal junction block. The duct tape was moist, allowing it to conduct electricity. I'm about to throw electrical tape on it and put it back together. The moment I pulled the duct tape off and blew air duster on it, the breaker stopped tripping.
Click to expand...

do you have a picture of what you mean? Curious how electrical tape would protect differently from water?
 
Chevy_man said:
Little secret from an electrician, we never tape outlets. :flipoff2:

If the screws are tight on the yoke, the wire retaining screws can't touch the box. If they do somehow touch the box it's grounded (you did ground the metal box right?) and will trip the circuit breaker.


The only people who tape outlets are those who actually read the Chinese directions. :flipoff2::lmao:

(These are likely the same people that think taping a wire nut will actually do anything. If you think your nuts need taped you're not doing it right...)
Click to expand...
I just use a weather resistant box cover outside and call them good.
 
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