Main Breaker Won't Reset!
mpedrummer
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (10)
DavidR
17 years agorandy427
17 years agoRelated Discussions
GFI and circuit breaker won't reset
Comments (5)Probably the first issue that needs to be resolved is the fact you cannot reset your circuit breaker. When you reset the breaker, does it trip immediately or just fail to latch in the on position? If it fails to latch in the on position, push the handle all the way to the off position and then move the handle to the on position. If the breaker is tripping immediately when you turn it on, then you have either a short circuit or a ground fault. If this is the case, then you should probably call in an electrician, since the problem is with the house wiring or dishwasher (you said you unplugged everything on this line). A breaker that is tripping immediately on reset will likely make some sound that will be fairly loud, perhaps a snap or dull boom. If there is no noise when you reset the breaker and the handle goes to the trip position, the breaker is probably defective. I'm not 100% sure, but some of the newer GFI receptacles cannot be reset if there is no power or if the GFI receptacle has lost the ability to provide protection. This could be why your garage GFI cannot be reset. Another possibility is that it is not tripped at all and you don't have any power because you cannot get the circuit breaker reset....See Moregfi switch won't reset
Comments (2)Well, there are two possibilies: 1. The unit is defective. 2. There really is a ground fault some where. Everybody wants to glom on to the first. It's certainly the easiest to check for ($14 or whatever for a new GFCI). The second requires some intelligence. The first step is to remove the wires from the load side of the GFCI. If that allows the GFCI to reset then you do have a ground fault downstream. First unplug everything that is plugged into that circuit and reconnect the load wires. If that doesn't help, you're going to need to start unhooking the circuit at various places to see if you can find it. Most likely culprit if there are no actual loads is that the ground and neutrals are touching somewhere. Inspect each box to make sure that isn't happening. I'd almost always start with the exterior receptacles. They tend to take a lot of abuse and water....See MoreTripped GFI won't reset
Comments (11)Because the gfci only trips when the old barn circuit is feeding it and not when the original circuit is feeding it, then you have a problem beyond a downstream neutral-to-ground short. I can't check your wiring from here and can only rely on what you've posted so far, yet you have not posted any voltage readings - causing me to believe that you are using the guess method to troubleshoot. You said you double & triple-checked the connections by seeing if the wire colors under the wirenuts matched up. This only eliminates conditions which would cause a breaker to trip, which is not your problem. You need to buy and learn to use a meter if you're going to do electrical work. The problem is in the wiring on the 2nd floor where you previously remodeled. This is what I'd look for if I were there: 1) in the box where you are attaching the old barn circuit, the original circuit branched in 2 or more directions. (Let's call this the branching box.) 2) you are not replacing the original circuit in the branching box, but rather are attempting to divide the outgoing cables between the 2 incoming circuits. 3) downstream of the gfci, 2 of the neutrals which left the branching box are tied together in the remodeled area. When you remodeled, you should have had one downstream box where the power coming in did not go back out on another cable. I'm betting that didn't happen, and you have a loop back to the branching box. 4) the 2 circuits are on different 120v legs, causing the gfci to see original neutral current which has reversed polarity from the barn neutral. It's also possible that the hots are tied together downstream at the point where the neutrals are tied. In that case I would have expected you to already have lit yourself up, yet that hasn't happened. So maybe you daisy-chained the hots through the receptacles rather than pigtailing and have re-used an old receptacle with a broken tab between the hots. Or maybe you have been turning off both breakers when you worked on the circuit, and the tripped gfci has kept the breakers from seeing a 240v dead short. These are just guesses based on the symptoms and results you describe, and perhaps they're all wrong. But they are what I would look for first if I were there. Best bet: call in a professional electrician. Your inability to find and fix this gfci problem casts major doubts on the safety of the pool wiring you're planning out of your new barn panel......See Moremain breaker won't reset.
Comments (4)It could be that the breaker is bad, but not that you "broke" it. I have seen many, many main breakers that fail due to age and poor design simply from not being cycled. Also, it is pretty much a certainty that you will not find it at a big box store, especially if it's more than 100A. The breaker is not red, is it?...See Morempedrummer
17 years agorandy427
17 years agompedrummer
17 years agorandy427
17 years agompedrummer
17 years agodim4fun
17 years ago
Allan Singler
7 years ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDES10 Easy Fixes for That Nearly Perfect House You Want to Buy
Find out the common flaws that shouldn’t be deal-breakers — and a few that should give you pause
Full Story
SMALL KITCHENS10 Things You Didn't Think Would Fit in a Small Kitchen
Don't assume you have to do without those windows, that island, a home office space, your prized collections or an eat-in nook
Full Story
MOST POPULAR5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and 5 That Don’t
Find out which projects offer the best return on your investment dollars
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: Family Reimagines the New England Farmhouse
See how a family in Maine takes apart a falling-down barn and uses the timber for an affordable new family home
Full Story
LIFEHow to Prepare for and Live With a Power Outage
When electricity loss puts food, water and heat in jeopardy, don't be in the dark about how to stay as safe and comfortable as possible
Full Story
LIFEGet the Scoop on High-Design Litter Boxes
Unavoidable doesn't have to mean unpleasant; cats and guardians alike will purr over these terrific design solutions for the litter box
Full Story
MOST POPULARMy Houzz: Hip Midcentury Style for a Mom's Backyard Cottage
This 1-bedroom suite has everything a Texas mother and grandmother needs — including the best wake-up system money can't buy
Full Story
GREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Switch to a Tankless Water Heater
New project for a new year: Swap your conventional heater for an energy-saving model — and don’t be fooled by misinformation
Full Story
LAUNDRY ROOMSNew This Week: 3 Eye-Catching Laundry Rooms
Just because you have high-tech appliances doesn’t mean your laundry room has to look like something from outer space
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDES7 Bad Things Your Home May Be Hiding
What you don't know about your home could cost you during a remodel. Here's what to plan for
Full Story
weedmeister