Mini's and GFI's

[mkess]

OK I now have the dreaded mini tree GFI problem. What kind of quick fixes could I do? Wold just a trash bag underneath the cage work?

[dirknerkle]

Rubber friction tape is pretty good -- a bag is pretty easy to poke through and then you haven't solved anything. You could also try end-caps for PVC pipe or rubber replacements for the bottoms of chair legs.

[rstehle]

I used pieces of black pipe insulation that you can buy at Lowes or HD. It has a slit in it, cut it to length (I was able to do 2 trees with one piece) and fit it onto the bottom ring of your tree cage with the slit up. Keeps mine off the grass and no trips.

[djulien]

OK I now have the dreaded mini tree GFI problem. What kind of quick fixes could I do? Wold just a trash bag underneath the cage work?

A trash bag might work, if it is thick enough. Last year as an emergency fix, I cut up a plastic drop cloth and slid it under the props that were causing problems, and that seemed to help (the plastic drop cloth was a fairly heavy sheet of plastic). This year I've added pipe insulation around the lower edges and that is working so far (a suggestion from another thread last year); although that may sound more like a permanent solution than a "quick fix", it was quite easy to apply - I used the 6' long sections that are pre-slit (from Home Depot) and cut them to length, then just slipped them onto the lower ring of the props.

Also, if you are using wire or metal stakes or something to keep them fastened to the ground, it would be better to use plastic stakes or something else non-conductive.

don

[dnesci]

I'm with rsthele. I used the insulation and so far two years no trips, even in the rain. See http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3455&highlight=tree&page=6 post number 51 for details on how to use the insulation.

Don