Intermatic transformer immediately tripping out

[Ghouser]

Intermatic transformer and pentair easy touch panel.

I’ve added a breaker, ran the hot wire to the line of the relay and the transformer to the load. Ran the white neutral to the neutral bar in the panel and ground to ground bar. As soon as I turn on the relay it trips the breaker, regardless of if anything is connected to transformer. Using a meter I see the white neutral wire has 120v going through it.

Hope this makes sense abd that someone spots my mistake

 

[danpik]

Where are you referencing to see 120 on the neutral? In other words, what other point are you putting the meter probes on. Obviously one is on the white, what is the other probe on??

Dan

 

[Jimrahbe]

G,

Take a picture of the inside of the transformer cover and post it... It should show which transformer you have and how to wire it...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ghouser]

the black load

 

[Ghouser]

G,

Take a picture of the inside of the transformer cover and post it... It should show which transformer you have and how to wire it...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ghouser]

This pic shows how i was wiring it. Breaker to relay, relay line to load of transformer etc....

 

[jza1736]

Hard to tell with your picture.

If you are getting 120v between the neutral and black, thats correct.

If you are getting 120v between neutral and ground, that could be a problem or if the xfmr is on you could be reading the voltage coming back on the circuit.

You installed a gfi breaker, right?

1 The white from the breaker goes to the neutral bar

2 The white from the xfmr line side goes to the neutral terminal on the breaker.

3 the 120v black goes to the relay

4 the black from the other side of the relay goes to the line side of the xfmr.

Verify is wired like that,
Leave the load side off for now.

Does it trip the breaker?

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

I don't see anything that jumps out at me...

But, just to make sure...

The white "Pig's Tail" from the GFCI breaker is connected to the neutral buss bar in the ET.
The Neutral from the GFCI breaker is only connected to the White wire in the transformer and nowhere else.

It should be obvious, but the two black wires from the transformer going to the light should look different than the black wire where the 120 volts from the breaker is attached. Just want to make sure they did not somehow get confused, since they are all black...

Is this a new GFCI just for the light transformer, or is it also wired into something else??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ogdento]

I'm NOT an electrician... but if the transformer is the only thing on that circuit (no receptacles) then I don't think you need the GFCI breaker for your light transformer (it's not going to protect the secondary anyway because the secondary is isolated). The transformer is an inductive load so that itself could be what's trippng your GFCI without there even being a ground fault.

The transformer looks like a PX300... is that what you've got?

 

[Ghouser]

Yes it’s a PX300 and it’s the only thing on the circuit.

I'm NOT an electrician... but if the transformer is the only thing on that circuit (no receptacles) then I don't think you need the GFCI breaker for your light transformer (it's not going to protect the secondary anyway because the secondary is isolated). The transformer is an inductive load so that itself could be what's trippng your GFCI without there even being a ground fault.

The transformer looks like a PX300... is that what you've got?

- - - Updated - - -


Thanks. Yes the blacks are separate and not connected as of yet.

white from GFCI is to the neutral bar. The line from GFCI to relay and then load from relay to the black on xfmr. White on xfmr into neutral bar, green to ground bar. Turn breaker on and it’s all good, but then turn on the relay and it trips immediately.

J,

I don't see anything that jumps out at me...

But, just to make sure...

The white "Pig's Tail" from the GFCI breaker is connected to the neutral buss bar in the ET.
The Neutral from the GFCI breaker is only connected to the White wire in the transformer and nowhere else.

It should be obvious, but the two black wires from the transformer going to the light should look different than the black wire where the 120 volts from the breaker is attached. Just want to make sure they did not somehow get confused, since they are all black...

Is this a new GFCI just for the light transformer, or is it also wired into something else??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jza1736]

I have the 300 and a 50 connected to a gfi breaker. They do not trip it. Sounds like it's miswired

 

[Ghouser]

Sorry it’s not the best pic.

to pick up on something - I currently have the neutral from the xfmr connected to the neutral bar. Are you saying that’s wrong and it instead should be connected to neutral of the breaker itself?

While breaker white pig tail should be connected to the neutral bar?

Hard to tell with your picture.

If you are getting 120v between the neutral and black, thats correct.

If you are getting 120v between neutral and ground, that could be a problem or if the xfmr is on you could be reading the voltage coming back on the circuit.

You installed a gfi breaker, right?

1 The white from the breaker goes to the neutral bar

2 The white from the xfmr line side goes to the neutral terminal on the breaker.

3 the 120v black goes to the relay

4 the black from the other side of the relay goes to the line side of the xfmr.

Verify is wired like that,
Leave the load side off for now.

Does it trip the breaker?

 

[jza1736]

Yes that's y is tripping

 

[jza1736]

Gfi breakers measure the current on the 2 wires. It can't do that if you don't bring the neutral back to it

 

[Meadow]

Here's the odd Intermatic PX300 wiring diagram floating around if that matters.

 

[Ghouser]

Thanks for your help, I’ll try that tomorrow. So the fact that they are both connected to the neutral bar doesn’t ‘bring the neutral back to it’ ?

Gfi breakers measure the current on the 2 wires. It can't do that if you don't bring the neutral back to it

 

[jza1736]

No it needs to go to the breaker. Otherwise the breaker trips because it thinks the current is leaking somewhere.

In other words, it's working correctly and tripping.

 

[Ghouser]

It’s working but not quite.

Thanks to all all for their help. The transformer is working and the lights are coming on. Two issues tho.

1.they are not syncing or changing color through the pentair app.

2. sometimes when turning off the lights, the breaker will trip. I’m using a 15a breaker and 50ft of 14awg direct burial garden wire. Is there some issue perhaps with it pulling too much load? Currently only 3 lights on the circuit.