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Open ground what do i need to do

Justin C

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Joined
Apr 19, 2011
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68
Location
Lennox South Dakota
Hi guys i have done the wiring in my garage and one circit keeps tripping the gfi when i plug in the light. I works fine with a fan on but as soon as i turn on the light pop. I put a tester in the outlets , there are 6 on this circit, and it says i have an open ground. I tried replacing the gfi and checked all the wire conections and it still pops the gfi off. What am i missing?
 
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Steevo

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Aug 18, 2009
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43.49600, -112.04300
Open ground shouldn't be the GFCI, since the ground doesn't pass through the GFCI. More likely a bad crimp on the grounds in one of the receptacle outlets (they are all crimped, and not wire-nutted, right?). Does it show open ground on all of them, or just one of them? How about at the GFCI?
 
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Justin C

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Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
68
Location
Lennox South Dakota
i forgot to mention that i changed out the gfci, tried a new light, took all the outlets out of thier boxes and checked for loose grounds. I found one set of pigtails that was not twisted and thought i found the problem. I twisted them together put a wire nut on and i got the same result. I think what we are going to try is to work my way back to the gfci from the last outlet on the circit to see if its a bad outlet.

I checked all the outlets on the circit and they all read open ground. Thanks Justin
 

KenC

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Joined
Dec 20, 2009
Messages
2,594
Location
oklahoma
i forgot to mention that i changed out the gfci, tried a new light, took all the outlets out of thier boxes and checked for loose grounds. I found one set of pigtails that was not twisted and thought i found the problem. I twisted them together put a wire nut on and i got the same result. I think what we are going to try is to work my way back to the gfci from the last outlet on the circit to see if its a bad outlet.

I checked all the outlets on the circit and they all read open ground. Thanks Justin

Check the ground wire connection, for this circuit in the breaker box. Then work forward one outlet at a time.
 

Milton Shaw

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Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
4,845
By light are you changing the bulb or the entire light fixture. Sounds like you have a short to ground in the light fixture. Replace the cord and socket on the light and you should be good to go. GFCI's trip to save your life from a difference in current between the black and white (normal colors) wires. On a lamp you could have a polarized plug that the wider of the two should go to the outside of the bulb and the narrow plug should go to the switch and the middle of the bulb. Some of those lamps are wired wrong and will trip a GFCI.
 
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