Trouble Shooting a Main Panel Tripping: Flood Damaged Suite

Users who are viewing this thread

JohnfrWhipple

BATHROOM DESIGN & BUILD
Messages
3,225
Reaction score
102
Points
48
Location
North Vancouver, BC
Hey Vegas.

I have started up a new project in Yale Town Vancouver. A two bedroom condo that was flooded do to a broken sprinkler head. The leak is long since over - nearly eight months back now I think. I have started doing the repairs and we just had a second nuisance trip of the main breaker panel.

The suite has a 200 Amp panel in her suite. The main breaker just tripped again.

The first time it happened I assume that a kitchen plug was not installed right since it looked like the tab between the hot buses of the plug was not removed. I told her that I would bring in my sparky but her guy got called in first. This dude walks in bills her $200 and does F all. Even leaves five plugs hanging!

I asked if he checked everything and was told yes. But last night the owner tripped the main breaker again by charging her ITouch.

I do not want my clients guy back at all. I'm calling my guy in a couple of hours.

Is it possible that water migrated into the BX jackets of the condo's wiring and has corroded the wire some how? Maybe it's just rusting metal after eight months?

I plan to remove all the plugs in the kitchen and hall. I think to be safe we will pull all the old 14/2 and 14/3 BX out and replace it with 12/2 and 12/3 lines. Bring all the wiring up to local code. Then there will be no issues.

I do not want this to cost my client a fortune but we seem to be heading down that road.

What do you look for Vegas after a flood?
 

Vegas_sparky

Digital Billy
Messages
486
Reaction score
42
Points
28
Location
LV,NV/ Nowhere,UT
I'd agree replacing the wire is last on the list, unless you have objective proof that it is compromised. The conductors in the BX are typically insulated with water/oil resistant thermoplastics. They sit in water for extended periods of time in most underground conduit installations.

Are any of the branch circuit(15/20A) breakers tripping, or only the main? The main, and it's contact points need to be carefully inspected. You may find damaged bus, which could be completely unrelated to the flood.

Was the panel subjected to any of the sprinkler water spray? How was the space dried out?

Any area that was exposed to the flood could have components which were damaged. All the affected devices, and junction boxes need to be looked at.
 

JohnfrWhipple

BATHROOM DESIGN & BUILD
Messages
3,225
Reaction score
102
Points
48
Location
North Vancouver, BC
IF charging an I-Touch tripped a 200 amp breaker, she has a serious problem somewhere, but it is NOT likely to be the wires.

I went down and started pulling plugs. Looking for an easy error that even I could figure out. After doing the kitchen I found one suspect JB box with five wires and nothing else odd.

I then started in the sun room. Then I looked at the plug and saw an arc flash scare on the hot terminal screw. I smelled it - smelled fresh. I looked at the JB box and it had a scar burn.

Problem solved.

I have told the client that all late night cleaning elves need to be let go and no work around exposed live plugs. Seems the elves want new plugs now rather than latter.

I'm glad there is no issue and my sparky is coming on Monday to put back everything that I ripped out. I bet we yank it all anyway since the new code requires 20 amp lines and GFI counter plugs and the old kitchen has 15 amp everything.

By my count we need 2 new GFI breakers of the counter plugs. One for the micro. One for the fridge. One for the floor heat. One for the dishwasher.

It's going to be pricy!
 

JohnfrWhipple

BATHROOM DESIGN & BUILD
Messages
3,225
Reaction score
102
Points
48
Location
North Vancouver, BC
....Any area that was exposed to the flood could have components which were damaged. All the affected devices, and junction boxes need to be looked at.

I'll let Mike know. He is really a tidy anal guy and has always done a great job for me.... well except that one time his apprentice installed the lamp post 3/4" out of plumb. But that was not him and I fixed it!
 

Cacher_Chick

Test, Don't Guess!
Messages
5,458
Reaction score
213
Points
63
Location
Land of Cheese
If the only problem were on a branch circuit, the breaker for that one circuit should trip. If the main were tripping, I would be looking for a problem in the panel.
 

Eurob

master tile and stone installer
Messages
824
Reaction score
53
Points
28
Location
Montreal
Website
www.houzz.com
Is the main breaker located in the 200A panel or is a separate one ?

Are there any floor plugs in the suite ?

You have to check everything carefully .......... quite unusual to get the main tripped - going over the circuit breaker - , instead of the designated breaker if it is a localized problem with one of the circuits .
 

JohnfrWhipple

BATHROOM DESIGN & BUILD
Messages
3,225
Reaction score
102
Points
48
Location
North Vancouver, BC
I found it odd as well the breaker in the condo's panel did not trip and that the breaker outside the condo tripped.

We'll learn more tomorrow when the Sparky shows up.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,749
Reaction score
4,400
Points
113
Location
IL
Is the main breaker located in the 200A panel or is a separate one ?

Oooh. That was a good question. I am not used to main breakers being separate from the main panel.
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
It would take a lot of faults to trip the 200A breaker when individual branch circuits did not also trip. Certainly, it is possible and normal to have the sum of the breakers in a single panel exceed the capacity of the main, but then, I seriously doubt that you have all of the available circuits loaded enough to leave them intact and then trip the main. So, you're looking at probably a bad breaker or corroded panel, or multiple branches waterlogged with corrosion.

I'd be checking for corrosion, arcing, or loose contacts, or moisture. Depending on where you live, maybe salt. Some sprinkler systems are filled with an antifreeze solution, and that can be problematic until flushed out (the alternative to that is a dry system that doesn't get filled until a head is opened - needed if it can freeze).
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks