Please help if you can , suggestions.
I have an Old ZW I am using for my accessories.When i first turn it on the green light dims a little,not like the usual short dim, but a short dim non the less indicating a short. After about 2 hrs its breaker pops, then will recycle and kick back on for 10 minutes or so the pop again. Then on then off.(14 gauge buss)
I have checked every pair of wires that goes to an accessorie to see if hot.Nothing.
Tonight I plan to unplug each accessorie until i see which may be the culprit.Before i unplug each accessorie individiually, i have some questions that might save me some time.
From my drawing below. I have 3 Legs. The first Leg runs to about 5 lighted building and 4 small lionel accessories. The only thing that i dont have a clue if its right is the jumpers i ran from the main leg for the windmill and the LEDs.
1)For instance the windmill has a very small 6 volt DC motor I installed. Between the main buss and motor I put an 1N4001 Diode. I am not sure if this was hooked to the Ground or Hot.(if that matters) Windmill works fine.
Also I put a 10K resitor between the Buss and LED on the windmill off the same leg as the In4001 Diode as in the drawing. LED works fine.
Would any of these cause the problem.
2) I have about 16 MTH buildings in a row. Some have the Neon Blinking signs. Only some work some dont.(some never did). I noticed on the bottom of these, 2 things, when i was hooking them up. 1 there is a switch to turn off the neon sign off and 2 its marked for wireing polarity correct AC hot/common.
Although i paid attention to this i may have accidently got 1 or 2 backwards.
Would this matter?
In addition to this as per the drawing In this Leg(3) I threw in a 10k resistor between the buss and some LEDs. Again not minding if resistor was to hot or common.
Would any of these cause the problem?
3) The super streets is not the issue for i rarely turn this on.
is it just the ZW? In my experience when their is a short with a ZW the wires either discinigrate or at least get warm, but this is not happening.Its a slow slow build up to a circuit trip.
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