Oh My! FIRE!

My GFCI strip was rated for 20 amp. My entire tank runs 15-16 at peak. My lights are retro, but Kacy has a Tek fixture that I highly doubt has faults out of the box. Also, at the time, the tank was not running at full power - only 1-2 lights running and it would still trip.

 

That's possible. I'm not sure about the numbers right now. But today I'm going to try the GFCI again and plug in things besides the lights and see if the GFCI stays on. I just didn't have the energy last night.

 

Are these electronic ballasts or w/ transformers? I am wondering about the amount of RF energy being conducted through the mains wiring. If these are electronic ballasts and do not have FCC or CISPR labeling on them, chances are very little was done to test the ballast for conducted emissions and this could be the problem.

 

My ballasts are Vertex electronic ballasts. I will check for the FCC sticker. They cause my Apex temp probe to freak out, but that's not unusual for Neptune and the base unit is right near a ballast. I can't see that causing the GFI to trip though.

 

I have no idea what that means. But I'm guessing mine are electronic...

 

Your ballasts would be electronic and contained in your fixture

 

I don't know if the GFI would trip if current draw exceeds rated, but that's probably not a factor here, gabba. From what I've read in other threads, I take it you're an electrician.

For a really insane example, a 1000W halide bulb on a 15A circuit would pull 8.3A. I use a 1000W halide to make a point. To pull 15 amps with lighting, you'd have to be looking at a branch circuit at a supermarket or big box store. Heck, take a tank with a crazy 6-400W halides mounted above it, such as Saxby's tank-or in the neighborhood, at least. That load would pull 20 amps--

Being a somewhat inductive load, the ballast might draw slightly more upon startup, but it would be almost negligible compared to a motor's full locked rotor draw.

IMO the issue with KC's/Zach's and anyone else's scenario where GFCIs are nuisance tripping--they're operating precisely as designed, and the problem lies with the fixtures, or with the home's wiring. Maybe a neutral is shared somewhere it shouldn't be???

 

Well that would just suck, and be a bit unlikely that 3 brand new ballasts and 3 completely different fixtures would all have the problems, all intermittent. What would you suggest to target or look at on each pendant? Sunlight Supply LumenMax elite's are pretty common.

I also have a hard time thinking that the brand new Tek fixture would also trip a GFCI.

 

Well I really hope it's not the wiring in my house....

I'm going to try plugging in other things to the GFCI today and see if it trips at all.

 

Hopefully not. If it's the wiring in mine, there's nothing I can do, as it's an apartment. Pretty much every outlet has a dedicated breaker though, and I guess I could move the entire tank to a different outlet, but then the tank would have a cord hanging from the side.