outside lights keep tripping, help!

Tongs of Destiny

Tongs of Destiny

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ok new dilemma,

my outside LED lights consist of the following:

5x little lamp post lights
1x light above garage door
1x ground spot light
1x wall light

Recently they have been tripping the breaker inside (the 10amp light breaker)
They all operate from one switch in side.

If I remove all the light bulbs from the 5x lamp post lights then the power stays on to the rest of the lights.
If I put those bulbs back in then sometimes the power lasts 2min or 2 hours then it trips.
I have replaced the breaker with a 20amp to see if it was overloaded, nope still trips.
I have replaced the wall switch, nope still trips.
I have replaced all the bulbs on the lamp posts only, nope still trips.
I have replaced all the bulb connectors on the lamp posts only, nope still trips.
I have opened all the wire in the lamp posts coming from the ground and cleaned them up, stripped them, rejoined them etc, nope still trips.

Any ideas on what I should do next?
 
Have you tried adding one bulb at a time until it trips? That should at least give a better idea of where the fault lies.
 
ricardo12 said:
ok new dilemma,

my outside LED lights consist of the following:

5x little lamp post lights
1x light above garage door
1x ground spot light
1x wall light

Recently they have been tripping the breaker inside (the 10amp light breaker)
They all operate from one switch in side.

If I remove all the light bulbs from the 5x lamp post lights then the power stays on to the rest of the lights.
If I put those bulbs back in then sometimes the power lasts 2min or 2 hours then it trips.
I have replaced the breaker with a 20amp to see if it was overloaded, nope still trips.
I have replaced the wall switch, nope still trips.
I have replaced all the bulbs on the lamp posts only, nope still trips.
I have replaced all the bulb connectors on the lamp posts only, nope still trips.
I have opened all the wire in the lamp posts coming from the ground and cleaned them up, stripped them, rejoined them etc, nope still trips.

Any ideas on what I should do next?
Click to expand...
From your description, there is a short in the power cable to the lamp post lights. You can determine where it is by putting in one bulb at a time. Or just recable the whole lot. taking care to seal the conduit and not join any wires.
 
I think I've narrowed it down over the past week, so am also thinking its a faulty underground cable, I'll have to dig up the entire flower bed to pull it up and put new wire down... It just confuses me because when it trips I can flip the breaker up straight away and it will then once again stay on for anything from 2min to 2 hours.. so its not like a dead short
 
ricardo12 said:
I think I've narrowed it down over the past week, so am also thinking its a faulty underground cable, I'll have to dig up the entire flower bed to pull it up and put new wire down... It just confuses me because when it trips I can flip the breaker up straight away and it will then once again stay on for anything from 2min to 2 hours.. so its not like a dead short
Click to expand...
Moles.
 
effing moles! I do have moles... could be them, there was a lot of looting last week so wouldn't be surprised if the moles joined in and tried to nick my damn lights!
 
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