What could be causing my new GFCI receptacle to keep tripping?

taco_truck_tom

An electrician installed an outlet on a circuit inside my garage that is connected to an exterior spotlight. The spotlight has a sensor that automatically turns it on at dusk and off at dawn. There is an interior switch between the outlet and the light that controls the light only. The switch has to be on for the spotlight to respond to the sensor. I was told it would be a good idea replace the regular outlet with a GFI outlet before the...

Originally asked by Robert Koch on Stack Exchange (diy) (CC BY-SA 3.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

The washer and dryer are on the same circuit? It must be a gas dryer? I'd think that you would want to see about splitting this out on its own circuit if you can. The drum motors in the washer or dryer could be the culprit. GFCI only requires a 0.005A difference in current between the hot and neutral legs to trip. Your GFCI outlet might be defective or over-sensitive. There could be a small/intermittent short to ground in your outdoor spotlight fixture? Maybe the lamp itself is defective and causing enough fluctuation to trip the GFCI. Do you have a moisture problem in the outdoor spotlight, perhaps?

Full answer by Craig Tullis: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/56188 (CC BY-SA 3.0).

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