Pool light GFI keeps tripping

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T

towney

0
Apr 5, 2007
84
Central Florida
Have a Hayward pool and spa light assemblies w/ Polaris LED and the GFI keeps tripping. If I reset the GFI and only turn the spa light on the spa light will work but if I turn the pool light on the GFI trips and both the spa and pool light go off. I took apart the pool light and bulb is good and no water in the housing. I clear caulked around the cord into the light housing thinking some water might be coming in thu their. Seems that worked for about a week and now it is again tripping the GFI when pool light comes on. Any other ideas?
Pool build 2006.
 
We had a similar problem with the lights on our Pool/Spa. This was on a brand new pool. The pool builder checked everything, and even a Pentair rep couldn't find the problem. They finally changed the GFCI breaker and that fixed the problem. I guess the old breaker just wasn't working properly. You might want to try that first since its a relatively inexpensive fix.
 
Woodberg said:
We had a similar problem with the lights on our Pool/Spa. This was on a brand new pool. The pool builder checked everything, and even a Pentair rep couldn't find the problem. They finally changed the GFCI breaker and that fixed the problem. I guess the old breaker just wasn't working properly. You might want to try that first since its a relatively inexpensive fix.
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Definitely agree - I require both hands (and possibly one of my feet) to count the multiple times I've had faulty GFIs send me down hours of troubleshooting - only to find out the issue was with the GFI. Buy a GOOD one and pay the money for it.
 
Hi all,

i have a similar problem in that the spa light only would trip the gfi, and then eventually the main pool light as well. Without the pool lights on the gfi would reset, but the second you tried to turn any on, it would trip. i replaced the gfi to no avail.

today i removed both lights from the pool (water is still in the pool), extended the housings and cords out of the pool, removed the light bulbs, turned the cb on, and attempted to reset the gfi to no avail again. the gfi refuses to reset.

any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!!
 

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Dear Bama,

I was hoping it wasn't the cable, but that's what I'm starting to think. I haven't checked the box yet but will start with that today and hopefully get some good news there. Thanks for the reply!

Billy
30'x50' kidney w/ spa. 1.5hp and 2hp pool and polaris pump, 30" hayward sand filter with zeosand
 
I had the same exact problem a couple of years ago, and it drove me nuts. Turns out the problem was in the junction box. The putty which seals the conduit as it enters the box was old and cracked. Let just enough moisture in the junction box to give the gfi a sense that water was part of the circuit.

I think it is flexible duct sealant, or something similar. A Home Depot item.
 
It would also be a good idea to check any connections starting at the GFCI and working out to the pool.

Electrical connections, wire nuts, or wires under any screws, (such as where they connect to the breaker), can loosen over time, or where wirenuts are used they can collect moisture and corrode.

For everyone, when you open your pool each year or at the start of the swimming season it would be a good idea to go thru the system and make sure all connections are tight and dry with no corrosion, and make sure all outdoor enclosures are still properly sealed and no leaking gaskets.

Loose screws or wire nut connections can cause a circuit to draw too many amps, this can be a royal pain to track down also.
 
[email protected] said:
Samantha, Bama, Magnew,

Checked the JB and all looks well there, however it appears the switched spa light hot wire has 3.4-3.6 volts on it without the spa light on. when i turn the spa light on, the gfi trips.
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Is that 3.4-3.6 volts on the spa light side of the switch while the switch is off?

If so then I would suspect moisture in that switch.

Also, have you tried disconnecting the wires from the spa light itself and putting wire nuts on each one for safety, and then trying to turn the power on and see is it trips the GFCI?

If it still trips with the light out of the circuit, try disconnecting the wires from the switch to the light and check again, if it trips the GFCI with the wire to the light disconnected then that narrows things down quite a bit.
 
You measured the 3 VAC between the spa light hot and a known good ground?

With the circuit breaker off and the pool light switch on and spa light switch off measure resistance between the hot and earth ground. A resistance of 48k or less will cause the GFCI to trigger. You should find resistance is infinite. If you find you have some resistance here you have to isolate areas of the circuit until you find the leakage area.

The GFCI breaker is looking to see if the current flowing through the hot wire(s) are within 2.5 mA of the current flowing back through the neutral wire(s) in the circuit. If more than 2.5 mA difference exists the GFCI will trip because it knows the current is leaking to ground or potentially through a human body to ground.
 
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