GFCI Circuit

[phillyrube]

I got a puzzler. Bought a house with a federal Pacific load panel. Seller had to change the service out which really frosted him up. He was not happy with that expense.
The load center is inside the house with the exception of a sub panel outside the house, next to the meter. This supplies the pool circuit with 220 for the pumps.
Next to the pumps is a smaller panel with a 220 breaker for the pumps, and a 125v GFCI for the pool light.
Pool light burns out. I check the timer using my trusty Navy Wiggins, find power, so check the GFCI. It's on.
Ok, burned out bulb. I then test the GFCI and it does not trip. Hmmm. Maybe a coincidence with the bulb. Try a new GFCI with same result. Can be manually tripped, but won't test. Ground the GFCI neutral and the breaker trips

I'm now thinking when the service was changed they mucked something up. Any ideas where to look? Pool panel is CH breaker with the metal hooks on top.

 

[ycgoat]

I would use a multi meter to check the ground and neutral / grounded conductor. Starting at the outlet and last sub panel. The Neutral should only be grounded at the main panel, but should always have a low impedance to ground.

Is your GFCI breaker white wire connected to the neutral bus or ground bus, the two busses isolated at the sub-panel and does the neutral bus still have continuity to ground




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[ycgoat]

Also does the white branch circiut wire connect to the GFCI breaker or the neutral bus. It should connect to the breaker


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[Terry D]

How are you manually tripping it, with the wiggy or test button

 

[phillyrube]

How are you manually tripping it, with the wiggy or test button

No, push the test button. Worked ok about two months ago when I tested it.

Load power and load neutral go to the gfci. The other neutral goes to a neutral wire that disappears into the conduit. Nothing ties in to the neutral/ground buss bar in the panel.

 

[ycgoat]

Hold on, the white wire that is part of the breaker goes into a conduit?


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[Terry D]

The coiled up white wire that is attached to the breaker is supposed to be connected to the neutral buss in the panel that the GFCI breaker is in.

 

[engineer2]

I thought Federal Pacific went out of business due to breakers that wouldn't trip. I had them in a house I used to own and can confirm that.
I replaced the entire panel with Square D.

 

[ard]

Just a comment...

work done in conjunction of a home sale...after an inspection...needing to be done for escrow to close..etc.etc.. is some of the crappiest, shoddiest work Ive ever seen.

 

[ycgoat]

I thought Federal Pacific went out of business due to breakers that wouldn't trip. I had them in a house I used to own and can confirm that.
I replaced the entire panel with Square D.

I believe the FP industrial series were prone to exploding when faulted. The residential stuff was good, but any 30+ year old breaker is prone to failure.


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[Norcal]

I believe the FP industrial series were prone to exploding when faulted. The residential stuff was good, but any 30+ year old breaker is prone to failure.


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Exact opposite, their Stab Lok load centers & breakers are what gave them the bad reputation, everything else was fine.

 

[nadogail]

Hoo Boy, FPE is in the same category as Zinsco. Junk our fathers was told was good.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I believe the FP industrial series were prone to exploding when faulted. The residential stuff was good, but any 30+ year old breaker is prone to failure.


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nope you have it backwards.

the bolt on industrial stuff was fine.

it was the residential stuff that was nasty

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I got a puzzler. Bought a house with a federal Pacific load panel. Seller had to change the service out which really frosted him up. He was not happy with that expense.
The load center is inside the house with the exception of a sub panel outside the house, next to the meter. This supplies the pool circuit with 220 for the pumps.
Next to the pumps is a smaller panel with a 220 breaker for the pumps, and a 125v GFCI for the pool light.
Pool light burns out. I check the timer using my trusty Navy Wiggins, find power, so check the GFCI. It's on.
Ok, burned out bulb. I then test the GFCI and it does not trip. Hmmm. Maybe a coincidence with the bulb. Try a new GFCI with same result. Can be manually tripped, but won't test. Ground the GFCI neutral and the breaker trips

I'm now thinking when the service was changed they mucked something up. Any ideas where to look? Pool panel is CH breaker with the metal hooks on top.

So you have 3 subpanels?

1 inside, one outside next to meter main that only feeds another subpanel at the pumps?

If so, the double subpanels is a bit odd.

Can you post pictures of every panel with covers on and off?

No, push the test button. Worked ok about two months ago when I tested it.

Load power and load neutral go to the gfci. The other neutral goes to a neutral wire that disappears into the conduit. Nothing ties into the neutral/ground buss bar in the panel.

Ok thats not right. The Lineside neutral from the breaker needs to go to the neutral bus bar in the panel.

How many wires feed this panel? should be 4.

Are the pool pumps bonded to ground?