Circuits, what is excessive?

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
For mobile home parts, click here.

Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

Post Reply
Jksizemore
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:08 pm

It’s been a long time since I was on here, I’ve missed everyone!

I’m running into some electrical problems and, I understand for the most part, no help is given, I totally understand why. Here’s my dilema, scenario though.. GFi in master bath keeps tripping. In trying to find the source I’ve discovered after the GFI, the entire bedroom is on the circuit (4 outlets and ceiling light fixture and closet light), the entrance way from the front door is on the same circuit (4 outlets ceiling light fixture and front porch light), and I just discovered today, where I thought the circuit would surely end, (what I thought was last outlet), that in that outlet there were still 2 sets of wires, which for some reason I’m guessing go all the way up to the ceiling and across to the kitchen light! The bathroom light is not on the circuit, and I haven’t tested yet to see if the plug on the outside of the house (same end as master bed/bath) is on the same circuit or not. A lot of people are telling me it seems like way too much on one circuit.

I am the second owner, I have not rewired anything and I’m pretty sure the original owners didn’t. So my main question is, is it common to have soo many outlets/lights, on one circuit? Is it also common to put so much stuff past the GFI so that the bedroom/front room are all limited to the 15A that the GFI allows instead of the full 20A from the breaker itself?

I never thought trying to trace the circuit from beginning to end would be so difficult! I’m probably wrong about what I thought was the end of the circuit feeding the kitchen light for the fact that when the GFI trips, that outlet does trip, but the kitchen light stays on! How in the world did they wire this house!? Lol
Mark440
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Anna, Tx

I got some bad news for you. The cheap $%#@& that built these homes were focused exclusively on profit.

My place has every outlet and every light on 2 breakers. And, while i have no wiring diagrams to support it, I believe it is one breaker per half (double-wide). Their configuration may meet requirements - but a couple more breakers would have been nice.

As for the wiring...

I replaced all of my 220 lines and put them in conduit. ALL of them are routed under the house. While working at the main panel, what i also noticed is that ALL 110V lines were routed "up" - yet I have seen 110v romex lines run in a couple places under the house.

Running the 220 under the house makes sense as the appliances generally have their outlets on the floor. However 110v outlets and switches seem to follow no rhyme. Just know that the builders stretched that wire as far as they could go and still meet minimum requirements.

And the clencher? As far as i know - the builder's never were required to provide wiring diagrams to anyone for anything ever.
Opportunity has a shelf life.
User avatar
Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

It sounds to me like you are confusing a GFI with a circuit breaker. If you are tripping a GFI look for moisture somewhere or a miswired outlet. You can buy an outlet tester at any home center or hardware store.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Sout ... 1001005712

https://home.howstuffworks.com/question117.htm

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Jksizemore
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:08 pm

Greg,
What do you mean by confusing GFI for breaker?

I did purchase an outlet tester, learned real quick I have quite a few open ground outlets! Hardly any outlet has ground wire attached, they’re just tied together.
User avatar
Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Some people think a GFI is the same thing as a circuit breaker. That was why I posted the link "how stuff works". You can trip a circuit breaker without ever making the GFI flinch and vice versa.

Since you found problems with the wiring I suspect that is where the problem is.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Post Reply