Flourescent issue becomes a gfi issue?

So, while attempting to test voltage into a string of flourescent fixtures I managed to blow something that shut down the light circuit i was working with, another light circuit, and wall outlets on one side of the basement. The breaker did not trip, but I believe all of these are on the same breaker - I flipped every breaker on the panel just in case, but still nothing. I suspect I tripped a gfi, but I've been all in and around the house pushing every receptacle and still nothing...I have found gfis that are tied to the lights in other rooms while doing this, but apparently have not found the right receptacle. Should testing voltage with a meter have tripped a gfi? Is it common for lights to be linked into a gfi circuit.? How can I track this down? Someone explain how to properly test for voltage- maybe I did it wrong. Now, I've got more issues and no closer to getting my original issue fixed!

It doesn't take much current from the hot to the grounding conductor to trip a ground fault, on the order of milliamps. I have never tripped on using a simple neon tester, but if you were using an incandescent bulb, as I used to, it would likely trip a GFI. There may be a GFI receptacle hidden in an unlikely spot feeding the receps that are dead. This is fairly common as GFI receptacle are cheaper than GFI breakers. You just have to start looking.

Jose,

I looked all over a friend's house one time trying to find a GFCI that was crippling lights and wall receptacles in his kitchen.

I finally found the tripped GFCI outside, on his deck. They can be hard to find.

Tom in TN

My guess is that the circuit that was supplying the lights (the dim florescents), which is actually also supplying the other lights is dead. Lights are not often on GFIC. Put your test light on the output terminal of the breaker. then just the wire at the breaker (just at the terminal, but not the metal of the terminal. If both these show solid 120, The issue is in a Jbox farther toward the branching to the other rooms. Jim

Flourescent fixtures and GFCI circuits often don't get along well. There is probably one tripped somewhere behind something that you have moved and found yet. It is likely near the breaker box in the area you are working in. Probably the first thing on the circuit. They are not supposed to be outside the house and feed receptacles back in the house, Depending on the age of the house where it might be. Not supposed to be on the kitchen or bathroom circuits. I always put the GFCI for the basement right next to the breaker box when the service was in the basement.

My son inlaw is an electrician.He will only use gfi breakers.I have seen failures to trip on outlet types often.There are many parts that can fail in a gfi.A lightning strike on the power line will do it.Trusting a gfi can kill you.

STAB connections on duplex outlets and switches can go bad over time as they loosen. The resistance builds and the STAB connection begins to heat and then loosen even more until an open circuit occurs. They can be found on duplex outlets and switches and are used to daisy chain multiple lights and outlets.

A GFCI does its job and can save lives when used properly, it only takes like 5 milliamps of current flow out the Hot Line thats NOT being returned via the GrounDED Conductor Neutral (i.e. a leak) to trip them out. If you run the Hot and Neutral through a Torroidal Coil the currents should balance out so thers no induced voltage, but if some of the return is flowing elsewhere, a voltage gets induced and the GFCI
trips out.

Is it common for lights to be used on a GFCI
you ask??
NOT if it was my design, but yes Ive seen it

Its been a while but when I was a design
engineer my practice was:

I NEVER protected pure ceiling lighting only
branch circuits with a GFCI.

I NEVER mixed and matched light circuits
and convenience outlet circuits i.e. light
circuits had lights ONLY and outlet circuits
had outlets ONLY not lights PLUS Outlets all
on the same circuit. I kinda figured if you
were working in a dark room and tripped
the breaker on the outlet circuit you sure
wouldnt WANT THE LIGHTS TO GO OUT ALSO !!!

I, of course, used GFCI where the NEC required
them such as within x inches of sinks and
lavatories and outdoor and garage circuits etc
unless they were dedicated for say a freezer
and there I used SINGLE outlets in not
readily accessible locations (say hidden away
behind the freezer).

Unless theres leakage current (or perhaps
excess inductance) A GFCI shouldnt necessarily
trip because a fluorescent light is used.
HOWEVER electricity, inductance and some
electronic switching can do strange things in
a GFCI so I never say never lol

Similar, I wouldnt expect the use of a meter
to trip a GFCI. They draw extremely lowwwwwwwww
current and it all should be returned via
the Neutral

Id guess theres still a hidden GFCI tripped
somewhere in a closet or elsewhere that feeds
lights downsteam thats the problem, but
finding it?? Maybe a proximity type meter
to trace down the power or loss thereof.

Like I say its been a while for me, maybe some of the more current practicing electricians have more ideas???

Ol John T and all

Is your house wired with aluminum or copper wire??

Blasted contractors that cobble stuff together to save 50 cents. Relatives in their two year old house opened the meat filled freezer in the garage to find a warm rotting supprise.

They thought the freezer died, hauled the stinking thing away and rerplaced it with a new freezer, only to find no power at the garage outlet.
They called an electrician to find the problem, as no breakers were tripped.
The electrician found the garage outlet piggybacked onto a basement bathroom GFCI about 100 ft away.

Had the same thing happen to me. Only I found the problem before I replaced the freezer and I done away with the GFI

Sounds to me like you remembered it correctly.

Only thing you didn't mention was to not use GFI on single dedicated circuits used to power things like refs and freezers primarily for obvious reasons. Course the topic was lights.

When I built my shop in '05 the county had implemented laws requiring inspections of new construction. They required GFI circuits in the shop except as mentioned including the welder and 220 air compressor.....but those were separate special circuits also.

Well, as it turned out, in using the shop I am glad they are installed and over the 8 years I have had it they have only tripped accidentally a few times. I'll take it.

Mark