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Thread: Programming Causes Breaker Trip

  1. #1

    Programming Causes Breaker Trip

    I have four 8ANS controlling four individual NSi TORK TPX300 Low-Voltage 300-Watt Safety Transformer. These transformers then power low voltage LED landscape lights.Last night I was changing a programming scene in Essentials and transferred the programming, which, as is usual, causes lights that are on to turn off and on. The landscape lights were on during this time.After the transfer, the landscape lights were not turned on. I went outside to check the electrical panel and the dedicated breaker powering the transformers was tripped. I reset the breaker and turned it on and all four 8ANS switches turned on. The status LED on the switches went from bright green (indicating load is on) to normal (glowing softly to indicate load is off) and then the breaker tripped again. I tried reseting the breaker a couple of times with the same result.I checked the individual breaker switches in each of the transformers and none were tripped.I'll continue trouble shooting today because my initial attempt was last night in the dark.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    So you've got four 300 watt, 3 amp breakers connected to one circuit, and they all powered up at once. 1200 watts and 12 amps. How loaded are they?

    What's the breaker on that circuit? Brand/model/amp rating? Could be you're close to the limit on that breaker and the startup draw from all them at once is tripping it. Lots of other variables at play as well (voltage drop, etc).

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by wkearney99 View Post
    So you've got four 300 watt, 3 amp breakers connected to one circuit, and they all powered up at once. 1200 watts and 12 amps. How loaded are they? What's the breaker on that circuit? Brand/model/amp rating? Could be you're close to the limit on that breaker and the startup draw from all them at once is tripping it. Lots of other variables at play as well (voltage drop, etc).
    I have four TPX300 Low-Voltage 300-Watt Safety Transformer connected to a single 120V / 20A breaker. The breaker is a Square D QOB120 - 20A 120V 10kA@120V

    Each TPX300 can handle an input of 120v / 3.0A and an output of 12, 13, or 14 volts at 300 Lamp Watts. I am using the 14v output wire for all landscape lights.

    Two of the TPX300's have no load (no lights installed).

    The third TPX300 has 5 x 2W LED MR11 (20W halogen replacement)

    The fourth TPX300 has 9 x 5W LED MR16 (30W halogen replacement)

    They've been working for quite some time and this issue arose when I went to change the programming at night while the outside lights were on. I previously did the programming during the day when the lights were off.

  4. #4
    Perhaps my breaker is bad. To troubleshoot, I'll go pull the Front Accessible Service Switch (FASS) on each 8ANS and then try to turn the breaker back on.

  5. #5
    ok, so I turned the breaker off and pulled the FASS on each 8ANS. I then turned the breaker on. No problem.

    I then pushed in the FASS for the first 8ANS. No problem. I repeated this with all 8ANS's and no issue. The only thing I noticed was for the two transformers with no load. When I turned the switch on they made a noise when turning on that went away. In the case of these two transformers with no load, I will leave the FASS pulled on the 8ANS switches so that they can never turn turn on. Once I get a load plugged into them, I'll push in the FASS on these two switches.

    I think the issue was related to these two transformers that had no load and when I to program them at night when they were all turned on (dont ask me why I ahd them turning on even though nothing was plugged into them) it caused the breaker to trip.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by radioRA2automation View Post
    ok, so I turned the breaker off and pulled the FASS on each 8ANS. I then turned the breaker on. No problem.I then pushed in the FASS for the first 8ANS. No problem. I repeated this with all 8ANS's and no issue. The only thing I noticed was for the two transformers with no load. When I turned the switch on they made a noise when turning on that went away. In the case of these two transformers with no load, I will leave the FASS pulled on the 8ANS switches so that they can never turn turn on. Once I get a load plugged into them, I'll push in the FASS on these two switches.I think the issue was related to these two transformers that had no load and when I to program them at night when they were all turned on (dont ask me why I ahd them turning on even though nothing was plugged into them) it caused the breaker to trip.
    Transformers don't like to run without a load and can go into saturation under certain conditions. I've seen some burn out dimmers and the transformer but I'd imagine even with a switch they can cause issues.

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