![]() ![]() When a box is supplied through Armored Cable or metal raceway the boxes are part of the Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC) of the receptacle. You really do need to replace those badly rusted boxes. Replace the seals if damaged or missing.Click to expand.I'm not going to soft peddle this so brace yourself. These seals are easily damaged or lost if you use the box regularly. Open the lid and check the foam seal around the edges. These boxes should have covers with seals that protect the outlet inside from excess moisture.Ĭheck the box and the box lid for cracks or other damage that can allow water to enter. Examine each of your waterproof electrical outlet boxes. If drying out the boxes seems to work, the culprit is probably a water leak allowing excess moisture into one of the electrical boxes. Step 5: Examine and Repair the Electrical Boxes It would be best to turn off the power at the circuit breaker and call a licensed electrician to find the problem and correct it. If your GFCI outlet trips immediately, moisture in your electrical circuits is probably not the problem. If all is well, power this will restore power to your GFCI protected circuit. Next, carefully reset the GFCI outlet by pressing the reset button. Restore the power to the circuit by turning the circuit breaker on at the service panel. Step 4: Turn on the Power and Reset the GFCI Take your time and make sure that the boxes are completely dry and free of moisture. Be careful not to get the hairdryer to close or you risk melting the electrical box if it is plastic or the insulation on the wires.ĭo this with each electrical outlet box in the circuit protected by the GFCI outlet. Play the warm air into the electrical box and over the outlet. Use the hairdryer set on its lowest setting. ![]() The easiest way to dry out an electrical box that you suspect has moisture is with a hairdryer. Step 3: Dry Out the Suspected Boxes and Outlets Turning the circuit breaker off prevents any power to the circuit. Even though the GFCI outlet is tripped, you should turn off the breaker. Step 2: Kill the Power to the Circuit at the Circuit Breaker Boxįor your safety, always turn off the circuit breaker at the service panel before working on any electrical circuit. These tools are not expensive and are available at most of the big box home improvement stores. If your GFCI outlet is tripped, you can check other electrical boxes and outlets using a voltmeter, a circuit tester, or a live circuit probe. One GFCI circuit can protect several outlets. Step 1: Determine Which Outlets Are in the GFCI Circuitįinding the outlets on a GFCI circuit may be easy if the GFCI circuit has tripped. A few simple steps can help you find an outlet part of the GFCI circuit and is grounding due to moisture. ![]() You may be able to diagnosis this problem yourself. In either case, the GFCI outlet is working as it should. If moisture gets inside the electrical box, the outlet may begin to leak power to the ground wire, or it may be finding a path to ground outside the electrical wiring. A typical outdoor installation for a GFCI outlet is in waterproof electrical boxes that include a cover that keeps rain and other moisture from getting into the electrical box. Perhaps the most common cause of a GFCI outlet tripping after a rain is water where water shouldn’t be. ![]()
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