Spent 4 hours chasing a phantom ground fault in a 1980s panel

Got a call for a random GFCI trip in a kitchen remodel in Phoenix. Checked all the new circuits, no issues. The problem was a tiny nick in the old cloth wiring inside a wall, on a circuit that wasn't even part of the new work. It only leaked to ground when the AC kicked on and the wall vibrated. Anyone else had a gremlin like this where the fault was on a totally separate leg?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor_lane607d ago

Found a 1972 splice like @tara_moore66 said, vibration fault.

paulc4227d ago

Tell me about it. Chased a flickering light for half a day once. Turned out to be a bad splice in the attic from a circuit we abandoned ten years prior. The vibration from the new bathroom fan right below it finally shook it loose. Felt like a real genius after that one. Those old hidden faults will humble you every time.

tara_moore6627d ago

Ugh, that's the worst kind of ghost hunt, @paulc42. It's always something you'd never think to check. I had a similar thing with a random outlet that kept tripping. Spent ages checking the room itself, but it was a wire in the basement that got nicked by a pipe insulator someone added years back. The house just settles a tiny bit and boom, fault. Makes you want to pull your hair out when you finally find it.