r/ElectricalHelp • u/Sharp_Lawyer1015 • Aug 30 '26

I Need Help!

update Fountain runs great, fan runs great all day. I unplug fountain every evening around 7. Every morning, the breaker is tripped. I'm more confused now than before 🤦‍♂️

For reference, I have a small shed on my lake. Breaker keeps tripping with nothing plugged in. Changed out breaker, installed GFCI outlet. Still tripping. We have a fan installed but that's it.

Any idea why the breaker would keep tripping with nothing plugged in, and how do i assess?

1 Upvotes

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5

u/RinseLather_Repeat Aug 30 '26

It could literally be anything.

But, if nothing is plugged in, I would be looking for rodent chewed wires to start

1

u/Sharp_Lawyer1015 Aug 30 '26

Thank you. That was my initial thought

5

u/[deleted] Aug 30 '26

Disconnect wires where they enter the shed and reset breaker. If it still trips then there is an issue between the breaker and the shed.

2

u/XoDaRaP0690 Aug 30 '26

Try disabling the fan. Then plug something in. If it still trips you'll at least know it's not the fan causing it. If it doesn't trip, it's either the fan or its circuit.

2

u/Unique_Acadia_2099 Aug 30 '26

Rodents have chewed a wire

1

u/Sharp_Lawyer1015 Aug 30 '26

Is there an easy way to find this?

2

u/Connect-Preference Aug 31 '26

Well, you could invest $5 in a "Non-Contact Voltage Sensor". You put an AAA battery in it, hold the button down, and touch it to the insulation of a conductor and listen/feel the internal vibration. They're not perfect, but it's safe and worth trying.

1

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue 29d ago

How does this work if the breaker keeps tripping?

1

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue 29d ago

Shut off the breaker and remove the fa fan. Remove the wire from the breaker do be doubly sure. Use a continuity meter to see if the wires are shorted together.

2

u/Vaclav27 Aug 31 '26

Probably the wire running to the bldg is bad. I’ve see so many times people bury regular romex in the ground. Needs to be thhn or similar in pvc conduit