GFI Outlet wiring

[JB4310]

I'm not sure if this is normal but with my farm house if one GFI outlet trips, it shuts off all the GFI's in the house.

Do you mean it shuts off ALL other regular outlets or ALL gfi outlets, either way is odd, one gfi can control many other outlets, as long as it's the first device, no need to have more than one gfi on one circuit, so I'm sure you have more than one circuit in the house, but if one fault detection in one circuit was tripping the other circuits GFI's that would not be normal, not sure but need more info.

 

[Alan L.]

Thanks for all the responses. The idea that there could be a problem downstream makes sense, I will check it when I get a chance, at least see if there is a short.

I believe this was the intention of the electrician: A black and white from the breaker box to power the GFI outlet, and a second black and white pair on the same terminals, connected to UNprotected outlet(s) downstream. The other side of the wall is our master closet and its outlet is apparently the unprotected one.

Then, it appears there are supposed to be some downstream outlets that were supposed to be protected, but I can't find any that don't work. There are outlets above the double vanity, one with GFI which, when tripped makes the other one dead. We found an outlet we were supposed to have in the crapper room (why, I'm not sure), but its not there. Its possible since they don't bring the boxes out to be flush sheetrock anymore that the sheetrockers covered it up and maybe this is the one thats supposed to be downstream, but its not there.

This all might have been the intention, but the only black wire that showed voltage was the on connected to the load side, thats the one thats supposed to go downstream and it should only get its power from the GFI not being tripped. The line terminal has the other wires that presumable go to the downstream outlet(s), such outlets don't exist as far as I can tell.

Right above the closet is an attic. I wanted a light in there and it wasn't done early on, and the electrician was suppose to have put one up there with a switch. He said later that he has done it, but I haven't checked. Could be that light is not getting power now, but we'll see.

I have called the electician a couple of times over the last few months to fix other problems, such as a ceiling fan that one switch turns the fan and the light on while the adjacent switch does nothing, and an outlet in the garage that does not work (a long ways from the GFI in question).

I wanted to plug in an electric heater and the plug I needed, even though the green light worked, wouldn't work. So I had to tear into it my self and the short wires and combination of wire sizes really made it difficult.

 

[podagrower]

If you can bring your house to FL, I'd be happy to come take a look for you
How the GFCI outlets in a house are wired together depends on what code the house was built under. Up until the 2002 (I think) NEC, bathroom, garage, and exterior outlets could be on the same 15 or 20 amp circuit. After the code change, bathroom outlets were required to be on a seperate 20 amp circuit, garage and exterior outlets could be on one 15 or 20 amp circuit. This code change also required all kitchen outlets to be GFI protected (with the exception of the one for the fridge), whereas the old code required only those within six feet of the sink to be protected.
I provided this long explanation to help you find the pesky wires which appear to feed nothing. Maybe the attic light was not trimmed out? Maybe there was a hydrotub prewire?

A great tip for finding boxes covered by drywall is to use a straightedge. A four foot level or peice of wood held horizantally against the wall at the height the outlet box is supposed to be at can revel a bulge where the box is hiding.

As for the switch that does nothing, if it is a bedroom, it may control 1/2 of a receptacle. If there was a three wire pulled to the fan, it is easy to make one switch operate the fan and one operate the light.

The outlet in the garage that is not working is the other reason for the long explaination above. Garage outlets must be GFCI protected. Is there a panel in the garage? Is there another GFCI in the garage? If the garage outlet that does not work is on a block wall, it may be installed in a metal box, and may be shorted out, causing many of your problems. There is a metal clamp in the metal boxes to secure the wire, which if overtightened, will result in a short. Also, the screws on the side of a receptacle can touch the metal box.

Good luck,
Use a tester you trust to make sure power is off.

Never trust an Electrician with signed eyebrows, or a Plumber with wet pantslegs.

 

[ToadHill]

JB4310 All the GFI's are on one circuit, none of the regular plugs are on that circuit.

 

[JB4310]

Well if they are all on the same circuit then yes that would be expected, that all the outlets that are fed thru the load side of a GFCI that trips would loose power.
It's just an expensive way of getting the same protection that one GFI protecting the outlets beyond it would give.
FYI I am not an electrician but have taken residential wiring classes, there may be codes in your state that would require the way yours is done, which I would have no knowledge of.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was required by the city to retro fit GFCI's in my rental unit. I opted to install Hubell GFCI's at each required location.

The reason for each location is to spare myself from nuisance calls on nights and weekends because a "Regular" outlet no longer works. It is simple enough to tell anyone over the phone to press the reset button and try plugging in the device again.

The reason for Hubell is because I've never had a bad one all the years I've worked in the Medical Field. I have seen plenty of the $5 Big Box ones fail... well about a dozen in 10 years...

Usually, they are located outside and will fail to trip when tested, or they nuisance trip.

In an existing home, the last thing you want to have is a GFCI protecting downstream outlets serving freezers of refrigerators.

 

[JB4310]

In an existing home, the last thing you want to have is a GFCI protecting downstream outlets serving freezers of refrigerators.

OR SUMP PUMPS, I see it all the time being in the basement waterproofing business.

 

[SpringHollow]

I use GFCI breakers which seem to be much more reliable than most of the outlet style GFCI units. Some have been installed for 15 years or more with no problems. My sump pump and refrigerator are on their own circuits but they are GFCI circuits. Even my 220 V air compressor is on a GFCI 220 V breaker but only because I found an inexpensive used breaker. The only thing not on GFCI in the house is the electric stove and the electric clothes dryer. In the barn, most of the 220 V circuits are not GFCI breakers.

Out of all of those breakers and years, I have had a couple of trips where the problem was unknown - may have been a temporary short or some type of nuisance trip. All of the other trips have been due to something shorting out.

Ken