Flood Light Tripping Breaker

[Deadsquiggles]

So I finally got around to running a flood light on the front of the garage. Got everything hooked up the way it’s supposed to be, power comes from the panel to a switch by the door, then runs from the switch to the light on the front of the building. If the switch is up, it trips the breaker, if the switch is down, no issues and the lights works normally. I think total draw if I were to use standard 60W bulbs would be 1A, but I’m using LEDs that are rated at 16W.

Its a Heath Zenith HZ-5411-WH-G and GE LED PAR38 bulbs. It’s on a 20A breaker and 14/2 wire. I can’t find anything from the manufacturer stating what breaker size to use.

Is this one of those weird things where the breaker being too big is the issue or is something else that I’ve possibly messed up at play?

I took a video but can’t seem to attach it.

Also, it’s not causing any other breakers to trip like the freezer or mini fridge. Not sure if that helps.

 

[The Cobbler]

you have something wired incorrectly . snap some pics of the switch wiring & lamp wiring
sounds like when you flip the switch "ON", it's shorting

 

[Deadsquiggles]

Switch


Light Ground per install instructions


Hot and Neutral to Light

 

[sparky 1971]

It's pretty hard to wire the fixture wrong but I've seen just about every way to install a switch wrong by DIY'rs. 14/2 from the panel to the switch. Pigtail the ground, connect it to the green screw on the switch. Wire nut the neutrals together (white) and shove them to the back of the box. Black from the panel to the top brass screw, black to the light on the bottom brass screw. Make sure there's nothing pinched or a staple too tight.

EDIT: I was in the process of posting this when the pictures went up. Lucky guess on my part.

 

[sparky 1971]

Switch


Light Ground per install instructions


Hot and Neutral to Light

Yep, as I was stating when you posted this. You've got the switch all kinds of screwed up. You are creating a hot to neutral short. Those white wires don't belong on the switch.

 

[The Cobbler]

among other things , it looks like you have the neutrals tied to the switch, they should be just connected to each other with a connector . the black that goes to the lamp goes to the switched side of the switch

 

[sparky 1971]

And take some more jacket off the romex. You're supposed to have a 1/2 inch or less in the box.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

So pig tail the grounds together with a single wire going to ground screw

White wires get wire nutted together and never to touch the switch

One black wire to each screw

Did I get that right?

 

[sparky 1971]

So pig tail the grounds together with a single wire going to ground screw

White wires get wire nutted together and never to touch the switch

One black wire to each screw

Did I get that right?

Yep.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

Alright I’ll knock that out and report back

 

[The Cobbler]

What's a service call cost these days?

 

[sparky 1971]

What's a service call cost these days?

That would have been $125 if it was within a 20 mile drive.

 

[Meursault74]

That switch set up had so much wrong with it, no one mentioned the backstabbing............... a constant debate subject.

 

[sparky 1971]

That switch set up had so much wrong with it, no one mentioned the backstabbing............... a constant debate subject.

That was the least of the concerns. I would never do it, but that fixture will never create enough load for the backstabs to fail.

 

[American Locomotive]

You also should not have a 20A breaker on 14/2 wire. It should be a 15A.

 

[The Cobbler]

^^^ good catch!

 

[sparky 1971]

So I finally got around to running a flood light on the front of the garage. Got everything hooked up the way it’s supposed to be, power comes from the panel to a switch by the door, then runs from the switch to the light on the front of the building. If the switch is up, it trips the breaker, if the switch is down, no issues and the lights works normally. I think total draw if I were to use standard 60W bulbs would be 1A, but I’m using LEDs that are rated at 16W.

Its a Heath Zenith HZ-5411-WH-G and GE LED PAR38 bulbs. It’s on a 20A breaker and 14/2 wire. I can’t find anything from the manufacturer stating what breaker size to use.

Is this one of those weird things where the breaker being too big is the issue or is something else that I’ve possibly messed up at play?

I took a video but can’t seem to attach it.

Also, it’s not causing any other breakers to trip like the freezer or mini fridge. Not sure if that helps.

You also should not have a 20A breaker on 14/2 wire. It should be a 15A.

Yes. I stopped reading after the first paragraph. Put it on a 15. Or change the wire to 12/2.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

Switch is rewired correctly. And I’ll get a 15A tomorrow and replace it.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

I appreciate all the help, guys. I definitely need to reread up on electrical or just stick to mechanical.

 

[Norcal]

I could not tell if there is a connector on the grounding conductors they cannot simply be twisted together, a splice cap, or a Greenie, are a couple of examples of what can be used, copper splice caps are my preference cheap, quick, & effective.

 

[Deadsquiggles]

I could not tell if there is a connector on the grounding conductors they cannot simply be twisted together, a splice cap, or a Greenie, are a couple of examples of what can be used, copper splice caps are my preference cheap, quick, & effective.

There’s a wire nut on there holding the three wires together. It’s just a little difficult to see from where I pushed it into the box. They’re not just twisted together.

 

[andrew61987]

I'm probably overcautious, but for how dirt cheap light switches are I'd consider tossing in a new one after closing a bunch of dead shorts as you no doubt have done with that one.

 

[Wiz02]

I appreciate all the help, guys. I definitely need to reread up on electrical or just stick to mechanical.

@Deadsquiggles, Glad to hear that you're going to do some reading on the subject. I'm not saying that you need to memorize the National Electric Code (NEC), but you do have to have basic electrical theory and have some real world knowledge of how the theory is implemented. Bad things can happen if you don't.

 

[nadogail]

When I saw both the white and black wire connected to a Single Pole, Single Throw switch I called out BINGO.

When the switch is in the on position the "Hot" Black wire is connected to the White "Neutral" creating a "Short Circuit".

 

[Deadsquiggles]

So I swapped the 20A breaker for a 15A and changed out the switch since it was only $5. Hopefully it should all be squared away. Thanks again, guys

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I'm probably overcautious, but for how dirt cheap light switches are I'd consider tossing in a new one after closing a bunch of dead shorts as you no doubt have done with that one.

yeah the contacts inside the switch gonna have some pitting... best to change it

 

[yatg]

Did you get confused reading the Best Electrical Tape? thread?
You're supposed to wrap the tape around the device, not your finger!
But that's a fine tape job.

 

[nadogail]

Did you get confused reading the Best Electrical Tape? thread?
You're supposed to wrap the tape around the device, not your finger!
But that's a fine tape job.

Tape around a finger is an Ad Hoc Babdage

 

[Deadsquiggles]

Did you get confused reading the Best Electrical Tape? thread?
You're supposed to wrap the tape around the device, not your finger!
But that's a fine tape job.

Yeah I tried to take the tip off my finger off with a Phillips head screw driver. And I appreciate the words on the tape job, I had to make enough makeshift bandages that I got a pretty good system for it now lol

 

[cmandp]

I thought you were working on the switch hot and just protecting yourself from being shocked