Breaker Tripping on Long 10-2 Run

[FarmerJeff]

Earlier this season, I made a rookie mistake. I was running 120v down to one of our fields to install a Gallagher M600 Fence Charger. It was a 500 foot run and I didn't know about voltage drop, so I used 14-2 and of course buried it and of course found it was WAY to small for that run.

I just redid it based on my licensed electrician buddy's advice using a continuous run of 10-2 UF romex on a 20 amp circuit. I double checked with the guy at the electric supply house and he said I was good to go.

The Breaker is still tripping!!!! I have the hot running to the breaker and the neutral and ground running to the ground bus. This is the main service panel. This is a simple run from the panel to an outlet. If the 10-2 is too small after double verifying this, I am going to go through the roof. Please, any ideas?

[Travis in Louisiana]

The rule of thumb is, for every 100 foot, you raise the wire size to avoid voltage drop. How much does the charger pull in amps? Does the breaker trip instantly or over a little time? If instantly, you may have a short somewhere. If over time, you may have a voltage drop, thus causing the current or amps to go high. Do you have an amp meter to check the amps with the charger on, if it takes a while before it trips? Just my two cents. Travis

[idahodave]

If it's a ground fault breaker (GFI) the neutral (white) must return to the breaker.

If it's a regular breaker, does it blow without anything plugged in? Shorted wire if it does.

Does the charger work in another outlet?

[FarmerJeff]

Hello- its not a GFI. It is tripping with nothing plugged in. How is a short possible on a direct run of brand new heavy duty buriable romex?

[Travis in Louisiana]

First of all, I have bought brand new breakers and they would be bad. If it is tripping with nothing plugged in, then there is a short somewhere. If you have a ohm meter, disconnect all wires from the power panel, so it will not have any power on it. Also, make sure the wires on the charger end are disconnected and are not touching. Now take the ohm meter and check from the black wire to the white, then the black to the bare ground. There should be alot of resistance between the wires. If you show zero ohms or no resistance , then you have a short in the wire. Hope this helps.

[Travis in Louisiana]

If you have put a recepticle at the charger end, you may have some wires touching in there causing a short.

[idahodave]

How big is the breaker (amps) and did you try another?

[FarmerJeff]

Hello- Idiot here... In my haste to rewire I connected hot and neutral to the silver terminals in the outlet. Just fixed it. A-OK!

[idahodave]

Good catch...glad it was a simple thing

Dave