OT Electrical questions

[OldRedFord]

Friends farm...did a bunch of electrical work.

One of the circuits I added is a 20 amp GFCI circuit. On the circuit are five switched outlets, five two tube 48" florescent lights. I am now adding five flood light fixtures. Each outlet/flood/florescent light is for each horse stall.

I just started at one end of the barn. I did two stalls. At each stall I simply just turned the switch off and wired in the flood light. I had the breaker trip twice on me. After that I stopped work because it was after sunset and I am not about to do wiring in the pitch black, and wondering why the breaker tripped. Could the breaker be bad? Could I have induced some sort of short or something into the neutral side of the circuit seeing it is unswitched?

The first two pictures are of the new panel I wired in. Replaced the ancient Wadsworth panel that was there. The panel is fed with a 40 amp circuit.
These were taken before everything was finished.
The panel has..

20 amp GFCI feeding light/power for the stalls
20 amp feeding light and outlets in tack room
20 amp feeding dedicated outlet at far end of barn
20 amp feeding a outlet and two flood lights at the front of the barn
20 amp feeding a dusk to dawn light
15 amp dedicated outlet
20 amp feeding middle barn




100 amp main panel for the farm

[bluef250]

I am not an electrician. I don't see a ground (bare copper wire.)

Installation looks very neat.

Are all breakers new?

[Madman]

I can't see your pictures right now, but I do a lot of electrical work. First off, always play safe and assume the breaker is not bad, and is tripping due to a fault. You can prove that by replacing the questionable breaker with one that has been in service, swap another breaker in its place basically.

that should help get you started. Not having a ground hooked up won't prevent normal operation, and I don't believe it would make a GFCI trip either. I will look at your pics tonight on another computer. I'd also spend some time looking for a pinched/shorted wire.

[flyboy71]

I see the ground. Its got the yellow tracer. The two mains are over on the left side. The GFCI wont work without a proper ground.

[Ranchero50]

I'd call a real electrician so he can tell you what you need to fix...

There's a good bit in that new box that doesn't look right from just these pictures. A barn enviroment with condensation etc, there should be drip loops in the hots so moisture doesn't get in the breakers. Grounds are sketchy, should have a seperate common and ground into the new work. Why are there three duplex boxes above the breaker box? Those boxes need grounded too.

Asking a bunch of guys on a truck forum if your wiring is safe from a couple fuzzy pictures isn't real bright...

Jamie

[OldRedFord]

I replaced the forty year old rusty Wadsworth breaker box that was there. The duplex boxes are because the new breaker box is larger then the old. The panel does have a ground and a grounding rod. Just was not there when I took the picture. The old box was ungrounded. Also recently found out that the wire feeding the sub panel is not rated for direct burial and it is just buried in the dirt. This is existing.

Yes, all breakers are new.

[Ranchero50]

That's why I recommended getting a legal electrician to look at it. Farmer fixes make me shudder...

[flyboy71]

Got an electric problem down on the farm? Call Haywire Electric! On call 24/7 Phone: 555-BZZT