Question about GFCI outlet problem
joshrogan
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
Hi… I’m having a bit of a challenge with a new GFCI outlet, and I was wondering if anyone has any ideas what the problem might be.
As soon as I turn on the power to the new outlet, the outlet trips, and can’t be reset. I know it’s not the outlet because I tried two new ones, and they both did the same thing. I also know I didn’t install it incorrectly… I triple-checked my wiring, plus I’ve installed a couple of these before with no problem.
The outlet is protecting another outlet and also a standard light switch for a single 60-watt lamp. Is that too much? Or does anyone have any other ideas?
Replies
Probably something downline is miswired.
Troubleshoot the problem
First install the GFCI alone.
Then 1 at a time add the outlet and switch to find the problem.
Make sure outlet and switch are totally disconnected hot,neutral and ground.
If this doesn't solve the problem you may have a staple driven to tight.
Good luck
Some of the new GFCIs are designed so that they won't reset until the problem is corrected.
-Peter
Have you checked that its not sharing a neutral with another GFI?
I'd say either (i) there's a ground fault on the circuit or (ii) you're miswiring the power side to the line side. (The code is/has(?) been changed to prevent that common mistake by requiring GFI's from being set with that mistaken wiring.)
There might be GFI's out there already incorporating that technology.
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"I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different." Oscar Wilde
Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I'm absolutely certain that it's wired correctly... I've now quadruple-checked it. I don't think there's another GFCI on the same circuit, but I will definitely check that. After that, I'll try some of the trouble-shooting ideas offered (taking everything else off the circuit, etc.). Thanks!
I would like to expand a little on Jako's suggestion--a GFCI will not work on any circuit that shares a neutral with another circuit--doesn't matter whether the other circuit has a GFCI. If the circuit you are working on is fed by a 14-3 or 12-3 cable, you won't be able to use the GFCI outlet. Check where the circuit comes into your breaker panel. Good luck!
"If the circuit you are working on is fed by a 14-3 or 12-3 cable, you won't be able to use the GFCI outlet. Check where the circuit comes into your breaker panel."
This is not true. It does not matter how or where the FEED (line) comes from.
It is only what happends AFTER the GFCI (LOAD side). The GFCI measures the difference in currents between the hot(s) (for a 240 unit) and the neutral. So if there is an other circuit that connects to the neutral on the LOAD side the currents won't balance and it will trip.
Sheesshh!! You are right--I was thinking one thing, and writing another. What I was thinking (what little I do) is that you cannot use a GFCI breaker on a shared neutral pair of circuits--for the very reason you explained. In such cases, the only GFCI protection that will work is a receptacle. Thanks for the smack to the head.
Howard
Thanks, everyone, for your advice. I (finally) got a chance to work on this today. The problem ended up being the light that was in the circuit after the GFCI outlet. Once I moved the light to be before the GFCI on the same circuit, it worked just fine. Just to be on the safe side, I also made sure that the circuit didn't share a neutral with any other circuits.
Thanks again!-- Josh