Electrical help?

[Abcdj]

I ask a young man with some physical handicaps that comes hunting with us one time if he knew anything about electricity. We were trying to figure something very simple out and couldn't. No surprise!
He told me the only two things I really needed to know about the subject
He said, I know two things. 1 if you don't pay for it they turn it off. 2 if you fork with it it will kill you!

Question. GFI plug won't reset. Breaker in main box won't reset for more than 2 seconds and trips. It kinda hums during the 2 seconds it is on.

Is the GFI plug bad or is the breaker bad?
The breaker is a double pole 15amp.

Any advice
Thanks

[KenWood]

If breaker is humming then it’s likely you have a short. What else do you have on the two pole 15?

[Kenner97]

Change the GFI plug, sounds like it’s bad.

[skulleton]

Turn the breaker off. Then go and take the gfi plug out and disconnect the wires from the plug. Cover with wire nuts or electrical tape and turn the breaker back on. If it doesn't hum and it holds without tripping it's the plug. If not you have a short. Neutral could be loose as well and burned back a bit at the neutral bar in the panel. It should be on a single pole breaker though. Are you referring to a tandem 15 amp breaker. It is a single pole breaker with 2 separate places to land your hot wire to. Typically used when the panel is full.

[skulleton]

Could be loose at the plug end as well.

[Txhunter3000]

If you have to ask call an electrician.

[Bill]

If you have to ask call an electrician.

Good advice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Briar Friar]

What is downstream from the GFCI?
In Older houses, the gfci in one bathroom will control nongfci outlets in other bathrooms. A faulty or burnt plug or outlet could be tripping the gfci and circuit, though not immediatey apparent.

Another example… Often outside outlets are controlled by the gfci in the garage. The outlet near the a/c condenser will get wet and trip the gfci in the garage killing all outside outlets. If that a/c plug does not dry, it will continually trip the interior gfci.

[Abcdj]

Turn the breaker off. Then go and take the gfi plug out and disconnect the wires from the plug. Cover with wire nuts or electrical tape and turn the breaker back on. If it doesn't hum and it holds without tripping it's the plug. If not you have a short. Neutral could be loose as well and burned back a bit at the neutral bar in the panel. It should be on a single pole breaker though. Are you referring to a tandem 15 amp breaker. It is a single pole breaker with 2 separate places to land your hot wire to. Typically used when the panel is full.

Here's what I have.

Thanks for the advice

[Duane]

That is a double pole breaker, but unless they are connected by a tie-bar, they operate as two separate 120V 15A breakers servicing two separate circuits. I assume only the one side is tripping?

[Bill]

Electrical help?

I think the lower breaker is tripped in the picture and is for the baths.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bbbuck]

It appears the two lower 15 amp breakers are tripped. I just had this happen to me yesterday. I noticed that one of the GFCI outlet didn’t work so I went to breaker box and found a 20 amp breaker tripped. When I reset it I heard a loud buzzing sound inside the house and went to the 20 amp outlet and smelled electrical burnt smell. My outlet had a short internal. I replaced two of them this morning and tested, all good. Be sure to verify the voltage is off to the breaker in question or you will get the 60hz shuffle.

[db@100]

I know it says "Bath plugs" but go around and be sure that it the only thing that breaker controls. Be sure you check outdoor outlets where landscape lighting, sprinkler timers, and Christmas lights may be plugged in. Unplug anything that is plugged into any of the non-working outlets. Retest breaker. If breaker stays on, the problem is with something you unplugged. If breaker trips, then do as BF said and disconnect the wires off the "LINE" side of the GFI outlet. Retest breaker. If breaker stays on, problem may be the GFI outlet or something down stream from that outlet. If breaker still trips, the problem is between the breaker and that GFI outlet. Post back what you find and someone will reply with the next step.

[Abcdj]

It's been pretty damp here for the last week or so. I went and unplugged a extension cord.. I unplugged and closed the cover. Went back inside flipped the breaker and it stayed on.
Wife used the hair dryer and curling iron with no problems.
Dont know if that's it but, thanks for the tips.

[db@100]

That is probably the cause. What ever you had plugged into the extension cord. Be sure you let everything dry out really good before you try to use it again.
Glad it helped....for now.