We have 2 garage openers. Couple of weeks ago, it rained for couple of days here in Las Vegas. Wife called me to let me nnow garage opener #1 will not open. When I got home, circuit breaker was tripped. I turned it OFF, then switched it back ON. Back to normal operation.

It was raining again since last night. Garage opener #2 is DEAD. Opener #1 is OK. I realized they are on separate breakers. I reset the main switch breaker and pushed
It back to ON. Went back inside the garage to reset the outlet with GCFI. Did it twice.
On both instances, the MAIN circuit breaker controlling #2 will trip again. It is telling
Me something is grounded somewhere. Any idea or previous similar issues?

I will wait until it stop raining and try it again.
Not sure if this is a service call for an electrician.

Thoughts?

It sounds like somewhere you have a connection that is getting wet. What is over the garage ceiling? Roof? Attic? You may have a roof leak which is leaking onto the junction box the garage door is plugged into or something along those lines. Usually garage wiring and outlets are a good distance above the floor, so rain or water dripping off of cars shouldn't effect it.

jimmy, our living room and one bedroom is above our garage. Garage opener outlets are all dry.

I also noticed that the light inside the home number address box is OUT. But I noticed that when opener #1 went OUT few weeks ago.

Yes, you’ve got a connection that is getting wet. It is more than likely an outside receptacle that is on that GFCI circuit. Seen it many times. The waterproof gasket(s) are probably bad or installed incorrectly and need to be replaced.

Powersurge, thanks for the tip. I have an outside outlet that I use for my RV. I will check on that when the rain stop. Will also check any other outside outlets.

It could be as simple as the water resistant cover didn't get closed after last use. It's happened before.

If you have a QO breaker, they will trip and go bad in an environment of high humidity.

I just looked around the garage to see if anything else is NOT working right now. I noticed that the landscape controller pannel is also OFF. I remember seeing a box burried on the ground that have a green cover. When I opened it before, I saw bunch of wires that I think controls the water sprinkler. Are those wires water proof? I remember seeing some water inside that box before, but not deep enough at that time to submerge those wires. Im wondering if that could be the one causing the problem.

Are the breakers actually tripping? If they are are they GFI breakers? You said main breaker is tripping, but from your description it sounds like you are actually talking about branch circuit breakers.

What year was the house built?

Sprinkler system likely won't trip stuff, it's controlled by low voltage wiring.

Skins, the main electric circuit breaker inside those huge grey boxes trips. When I reset the switch in the pannel, the garage opener is still DEAD. After resetting the switch, I noticed one electeical outlet inside the garage with the GCFI light ON and need to be reset as well. When I pressed the reset button, it tripped the main pannel again. I did this twice. It seems like that outlet is also connected to the garage opener.

House was built 2015.

I'm pretty sure you are not talking about the bmain, just a regular individual breaker. The rest of the house stays on right?

What you are discribing sounds like a dead short.
Does it immediately trip? Is there a small spark visible when it does?

The garage GFI, given your year of construction should cover exterior outlets, garage, and possibly basement unfinished basement outlet.

Do you have a post light or any landscape lighting?

Skins, thank you for taking the time to respond. You are correct. It is an individual circuit breaker that trips. The rest of the house have power.

The first time I pressed the outlet GCFI reset button, I DID saw a spark. The second time I tried it, it did not have any spark.

I do have a low voltage path light that I
Installed myself. The transformer is plugged into the outside
Outlet. And it is working and do have power right now.

What about any post light in your yard or pier lights at end of driveway?

I have a bunch of process of elimination type of questions to ask you, it'd be a pain in the but to do on here, if you email me your number I can walk you through what to check. If you are not a mechanically inclined person or don't feel comfortable with handling electrical equipment, then you need an electrician. He will need to isolate where in the circuit the fault is a correct or rewire the issue is.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Skins2881,

Your sprinkler system manifold should only be 24v and would not short a house circuit. If it did short, you may loose that zone on your panel.

The feed to your control panel must be on the same circuit that popped. I would check all outside outlet covers, and gaskets first, as mention before.

I chased the same issue when I bought my first house. Fixed all of the exterior outlets and still had the same problem. After months of investigating, I found that my dormer bathroom roof valley was leaking. It was dripping down inside the wall to my garage, exactly where a gfi was installed. I had the roof done a few months later (it was due anyway) and swapped out the gfi for good measures. Problem finally resolved.

Good luck and keep at it.

-Jeff

The GFCI outlet itself can also go bad and require replacement, although not usually in just 4 years.

OK. I just finished replacing the GFCI outlet in the garage. Used my tester for LINE (124 V). LOAD Line is ZERO. I turned OFF the 20Amp circuit breaker from outside pannel. Replaced the GFCI. Turned back ON the 20Amp circuit breaker. LINE showed 124V. LOAD Line showed ZERO. I pressed the RESET button. It Trips the circuit breaker AGAIN. That tells me it is NOT faulty GFCI.

Any other thoughts? Or should I call an electrician now?

Ador- have you replaced both circuit breakers?

Best thing I found was a great household electrician.

With myself being a highly experienced aircraft electrician, I am able to see his quality and, he and I, are able to speak on the same level.

Ok I am not an electrician.

Just a thought.

He said he has installed a new GFCI Outlet to replace the one that was there.

Reset the line main breaker.

When he pushes the reset button on the new GFCI outlet it trips the line main breaker again.

Could it be something wire downstream on the same feed that is shorted?

It loses voltage when the upstream GFCI outlet is tripped. Thus allowing the Line main breaker to be reset. Then when the reset on the GFCI Outlet is reset, the downstream feed come on, and the downstream problem trips main line breaker.

quote:

Originally posted by ontmark:
Ok I am not an electrician.

Just a thought.

He said he has installed a new GFCI Outlet to replace the one that was there.

Reset the line main breaker.

When he pushes the reset button on the new GFCI outlet it trips the line main breaker again.

Could it be something wire downstream on the same feed that is shorted?

It loses voltage when the upstream GFCI outlet is tripped. Thus allowing the Line main breaker to be reset. Then when the reset on the GFCI Outlet is reset, the downstream feed come on, and the downstream problem trips main line breaker.

Yes, that is exactly what is going on. Unfortunately, unless one installed the wiring (and has a functional memory ), one often does not know what route the circuit takes or even what all the loads on it are. Hence Jessie’s process of elimination questions...