Breaker Trips Immediatly and Constantly

mettius

Member
Jun 25, 2012
14
Austin, TX
I have a Pentair variable speed pump, and the Easytouch 8 controller/box. Which is also an electrical subpanel.

History: The presure side pool cleaner (Pentair Kreepy Krawly Platinum or something) pump went out last week. But everythying else has been working fine. Wife swam on Sunday, and the main breaker was tripped, but when she reset it, the equipment came back online (main pump, panel, etc.)

Monday I discovered the whole equipment panel was dark. Since then whenever I reset the breaker, it immediately trips. "The breaker" in this case being the breaker from my house service entrance panel which feeds the pool subpanel out by the pump.

There are three breakers on the pool panel. One for the booster pump, one for the main pump, and one for the pool lights. I swicthed all three off. The breaker still trips instantly. Just in case, I unwired the booster pump (since I was about to replace it anyway) and wire nutted off the hot and neutral wires. Main breaker still trips.

We opened up the panel and cleaned out a good bit of lizard poo pellets, as well as a desiccated probably electrocuted gecko (there has been a few of them living in my panel for the last few years.

Anyway, removed and reseated all three breakers in the pool sub-panel after ensuring no more lizard poo or bodies were still in there. The breaker still trips.

We had a huge electrical storm Saturday night, but we observed the equipment working on Sunday, so I'm not sure what is up with that. The breaker has been known to trip during electrical storms in the past (but probably only a dozen times in six years or so).

I've got an electrician scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but anyone ever seen anything like this? Any thoughts?
 
M,

When all the breakers in the ET are shut off, and your main panel circuit breaker still pops, it can't be anything but the breaker or the wiring between the main panel and your sub-panel..

Unlikely to be the wiring, so I'm going with the breaker. I assume the main breaker is not GFCI..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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