[HARRY304E]

I was working on a fish pond where something was tripping the GFI. This GFI was protecting the underwater lights, a fountain pump and some landscape lights around the pond. I found the problem to be the fountain pump.

My first question was: Is this a 10uA problem or a 20A problem? I used my ohm meter and got a very low reading from the 3 pond lights in parallel.
I wanted to simply bypass the GFI to see if the 20A breaker would trip but feared I'd electrocute thousands of dollars worth of fish if there was a flooded light.

It seems that a 60Hz ohm meter (if there is such a thing) would quickly tell you whether you are looking at a light filament, motor winding, or a real short.

Anybody know of a device or technique to deal with these questions?

Are you sure that those lights are line voltage?

Normally those are low voltage look for a transformer that may be feeding those lights.

 

[HARRY304E]

Good point. It seems it was a 3-light assembly so there may be a junction box or transformer hidden in the landscape somewhere. Line voltage may be isolated from the water by a transformer and I was ohming the primary of the transformer. But it's still scary to bypass the GFI with living things in the water.

Yup Do not bypass the GFCI.

Also you can install a new GFCI that could be the problem as well.

Disconnect each light one at a time it could be that just one is tripping the GFCI ,.

Also if they are low voltage it could be just a bad transformer.

 

[HARRY304E]

If it's low voltage, will a fault to ground on the secondary side trip a GFCI on the primary? I'm thinking "no", but I'm curious to see reasons both ways.

I would say no as well if they are low voltage then you are right the primary side of the transformer would be tripping the GFCI and there may be no problem with the lights them selves...

 

[HARRY304E]

Still trying to wrap my brain around 60hZ ohmeter

I think that could be just bad Electrical jargon that he learned from someone else.