If the GFI that is tripping is a different circuit, there is electrical leakage between the circuit the GFI is controlling, and the dryer circuit. It is possible that there is some cross wiring in the electrical box. I would strongly recommend getting a licensed electrician to look at it, preferably before you have a fire. If the GFI is the same circuit as the one where the dryer is plugged in, you might want to have the dryer checked for leakage to ground. You should also check the dryer circuit's rating against the rating of the breaker in its circuit. A dryer typically takes 30A on usually a single two-gang breaker; if you have a larger dryer that pulls, say, 45A, a 30A breaker will always pop. It sounds to me like a bad electrician has, instead of buying a proper two-gang 30-A breaker, installed your dryer across two circuits, one being the garage GFI circuit; the dryer, because it pulls 220V, pulls an unbalanced load across the GFI and triggers it, and the other circuit breaker is triggered because it loses the extra power provided through the GFI. I cannot emphasize this enough: get this checked out and fixed. Now. Before you get a house fire.
GFI (or GFCI) is an acronym for Ground Fault (Circuit) Interruptor. Essentially, it is a current sensor. A GFI outlet or breaker monitors the current flowing through both the hot and neutral wires. If there is a difference between them, that means electricity is leaving the normal circuit and is flowing through something else (probably you). The GFI watches for this difference and shuts off power to the circuit if an imbalance is detected. This is why a GFI is mandatory for pools, bathrooms, etc.. If you happen to become a conductor because you are wet, the GFI will detect the current flowing through you and shut the power off. A normal breaker will only shut off if your body happens to overload it, which is unlikely.
If t hat GFI is the only plug on the circuit then yes. If there are other plugs you have to find out how many so that you don't exceed the capacity of that circuit. If the GFI is the only plug there, turn the power off to it at it's breaker and run the appropriate wire to the new plug you want to install. Wire in the new plug, then make the connections at the old GFI plug. Always work towards the power, even if the circuit is dead. It's good practice. This way you rarely if ever have to work on live circuits. Start at the furthest point in the circuit away from the electrical panel and work toward it. You can have the new outlet protected by the GFI if you connect the wires from the new outlet to the LOAD side of the GFI. If the GFI is still new there is usually a yellow sticker covering the screws, those 2 screws are the LOAD side meaning that if anything happens downstream on that circuit to make a GFI trip the GFI will sense it and turn the circuit off. If you want just a standard outlet then put the new wires on the same screws as the old wires on the GFI. Once you're done, and all the boxes are closed and safe, turn the breaker back on.
Yes, it is recommended to have a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) protection for a spa even if it is being plugged into a GFCI circuit. This redundancy provides an extra layer of safety in case of any issues with the existing circuit.
It's possible that the GFI outlet was overloaded by the electric heater, causing it to shut off power to prevent a potential hazard. The circuit breaker may not have tripped because it was on a different circuit from the GFI outlet. It's important to have a licensed electrician inspect the outlet and wiring to ensure safety.
A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is a mini circuit breaker that responds to shorts or contact with water. It monitors the flow of electricity in a circuit, and if it detects a ground fault (such as water contacting the electrical system), it automatically shuts off the power to prevent electric shock.
If the outlet cover was held open by the lights it could be wet. A smal amount of water will cause a GFI to trip. A GFI is a device which makes certain that voltage is not draining away from the two wires, to some OTHER voltage drain, such as a human body or a wet circuit. if above not the answer go to your breaker box and find the breaker that controls that circuit. you will know when you have the right one when the breaker does nothing, not even trip it self. see what else is on that circuit {what else turns off when main breaker is tripped and unplug everything that is on that circuit then turn on the main breaker. try the reset with everything else off if it still trips then its the gfi itself. they go bad often on construction sites [my own personal experience] if it resets properly than one of the other things on that circuit is the culprit. replug or turn them on one at a time. the breaker will trip if its one of these. if not replace the breaker. pretty cheap at lowes or home depot. turn off main breaker when you replace it. lots of luck!!
If you're using a GFCI breaker then the entire circuit will be protected by just the breaker alone. Every receptacle, switch, etc on that breaker will utilise the GFCI protection. You may have problems with it tripping if you plug in a motor (vacuum, etc) on the circuit.
Installing a 30A 240V GFI breaker for a dryer should be fine as long as the wiring and dryer itself are compatible with the breaker. The GFI breaker is designed to protect against electrical faults and should not be affected by the cycles of the dryer. Make sure to follow the installation instructions carefully to ensure proper functioning.
A Class "A" Circuit breaker is a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI or GFCI) breaker ."Class A" marking -- A "Class A" ground-fault device is intended to protect people. The Class A marking indicates that the trip threshold of the GFCI is between 4 mA and 6 mA. This marking may be in any location except the back.
That's no problem.
A tripped circuit is typically identified by a switch in the electrical panel that is in the "off" position, or a fuse that is visibly blown. You can reset a tripped circuit by flipping the switch back on or replacing the blown fuse. Make sure to investigate the cause of the trip before resetting to prevent any potential hazards.