Hope someone can answer this. Its driving me nutts.
I am building a new workshop and have ran into a really screwy electrical problem.
I currently have a temporary power hookup that has a gfci breaker in it. I have been running the construction equipment with no problems for about 4 months. Recently, I finished the electrical rough-in and connected the temporary power feed into the entrance to check all of my circuits.
By connecting the 220v feed running from my temporary hookup to the top of the breaker box I can test all my circuits. Here is where the problem comes in.
If I leave the ground rod connected to the meter base, the GFCI at the temporary hookup will not stay on. Even if I leave the main breaker off in the breaker box, the GFCI will kick out as soon as I touch the ground lead from the ground rod to the meter base.
I have double checked every connection and I cant find a short or any continutiy where it isnt supposed to be.
I have done EXACTLY the same thing before on a different job and it works. I have changed the GFCI and pretty much rewired the thing every way I can think of.
The temporary hookup is about 30 feet from the structure and has a ground rod of its own. Is it possible for the current from the structure to be feeding back through the ground rods to the temp hookup to cause the GFCI to trip? Or can the ground rod at the building be "bleeding" enough power from the circut to cause a drop in current? If not, why the fault? Why does it work at other locations and not here?
Anyone who can explain this to me so I understand it will be my new hero, cause I'm stumped.