How to test a GFCI - How to troubleshoot a GFCI - The Electrical Guide
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- This video shows you how to simply and safely test a GFCI receptacle.
Generally receptacles that don't work outside your house are fed from the load side of a GFCI that has been tripped and resetting all your GFCIs is usually the solution.
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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
You saved me a visit from an electrician.
Yesss! You just saved $200! Well done
Short, yet very informative. This clearly help identify an issue with outlets in my house. Thank you!!
Glad to hear! Thank you for the positive feedback!
Nicely done, thx!
Appreciate the positive feedback!
Thank you, your video helped me out!
I'm not getting full power to any of my receptacles. I can run fans and lights but not anything more powerful. All the outlets are reading 120. The readings from the breaker boxes are coming back fine. Any help would be appreciated. Ty.
Could be many things. Sounds like you need to hire an electrician. Maybe a phase is out? Maybe the neutral is faulty? Be careful.
I changed my GFCI outlet and it’s now working but all the other additional plugs connected downstream to it are not functioning even though I connected the load wires as I should. Why would that be?
Did you ensure the black and white are on the correct side for the load? The button should stick in when there is power. If the button sticks and the black and white wires are properly terminated and on the correct side then it should work. I guess a broken wire somewhere is possible? Very unlikely. 95% of the time the wires were terminated incorrectly.
@@theelectricalguide not sure. Could it be because he used to be a blank face GFCI just change it to that has plugs? Regardless, it should work I think. The GFCI is working but not the downstream ones. Unless they are controlled by another outlet that I’m not aware of.
Hello and thinks for sharing your knowledge. I have an old house that was built in the 50'S with the two prong receptacles and someone put in the 3 prong receptacles but they are test for open ground. They have no ground wire in the box. After putting in a gfci receptacle it tested for open hot. So I thought i reversed the blk wire the hot wire to the load and not the line. Still read for open hot . then I swapped the neutral wires around. Now im lost. When I test the wires with a multimeter it backlights red and I get 117.2 Volts and the other blk wire gives me a wired number like 9.679 or something. But the green button on gfci is lit up. I've read you can ground the receptacle box to the grn nut on the gfci. Please help. I need to get this up and running to feed the daisy chain.
Please give this video a watch, it will likely help you with your new GFCI. ruclips.net/video/5LI6GTqYpMQ/видео.htmlsi=uoRkiDu4fm34mt_H
wow I never knew you had to press the test button... I was stumped for hours! thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Annoying. It’s not troubleshooting if you don’t say why the button won’t go back in. I wanted to know if it’s gone bad or could be something else.
Actually I do say why, at 1:35.. if there is no power the button will not stick. Also at 2:20 I mention another reason why the button may not stick in. Again at 3:05 I talk about the possibility of another GFCI outlet feeding something not working as another reason you may not have a sticky button. Appreciate your feedback regardless, hope you're able to re-energize your circuit.
Good morning, we had a flood here and our original gfci was a dual 15 and 20 amp. We tried replacing it no where to be found so we went with a leviton GFWT2-KW simply put a 20A-125V. Our breaker panel indicated 20A for the patio.
On their directions it says if you connect it and get a green light reverse the line and load wires. We did that. Not we have a solid red light and blinking light. The test button does not move just the reset button on any instances. Can you please assist?
I believe the way we connected it first and had the green light was the correct way. Leviton ships these as in a tripped state.
Thank you for your help. It's greatly appreciated.
Your feed from the panel must be connected to the LINE side. White on the silver screws , usually left side and black on the copper colour screws usually right side. If you have a second set of black and white wires then you're feeding other outlets from that GFCI protection. Those additional white and black must be connected to the LOAD side. That will offer GFCI protection to the outlets that come off the LOAD side. Ensure that you don't terminate a white from the panel side with the black of the next outlet, that will cause you problems. Hope that helps.
Hi ,
I hope doing well.
Could you please help for this question.
*when performing regular testing of a GFCI receptacle on a pool deck, the receptacle fails to reset. What is the cause.
The Best
Ben
Did you watch the video? Sounds like no power..
@@theelectricalguide
Thank you for your time.
Which one should we mark?
A) Leakage current on ground conductor
B) Leakage current on neutral conductor
C) Potential difference between hot and neutral conductor
D) Potential difference between hot and ground conductor
@@theelectricalguide
Hi ,
Yes I watched it completely.
According to your video A must be the answer.
Regard
Ben
My sons townhouse breaker trips before the gfci when the toaster is used ? Shouldn’t the gfci trip first?
The gfci doesn't trip from an over current (more than circuit breaker rating amps). The gfci trips from a ground fault which is a different type of protection. They aren't the same and won't trip for the same reasons. Hope that helps!
I plug the over current device in my Hair Dryer (2 prong no ground) INTO a GFCI receptacle. I press the test button on the hair dryer, it DOES TRIP the hair dryer but no response from the GFCI. The GFCI does not notice the interruption in the current. comment please
Hey Ted, the GFCI is only looking for a fault to ground, it isn’t concerned about an interruption of current. The safety switch on the hair dryer may be different than a GFCI. I wouldn’t be concerned about this at all. Hope that helps 👍
@@theelectricalguideThank you, But. I use GFCI (without ground conductor). The test button on the GFCI works just fine.
I have a question I notice my GFci in kitchen works has power with a led green light but blinks red every 30sec-1 min maybe.
If you can't normally reset it then it sounds like a compromised GFCI, may need to get replaced.
Hey there, quick questions for you please! I just replaced mine, and the green light stays on regardless of if I press the test/reset buttons. Is that normal? I have a 20A Xtricity TR outlet.
Second question.. about the ground wires: one was screwed behind the left screw in the box, and the second ones went around the right screw in the box, before connecting to the ground input on the outlet. My question is, should both ground wires be tapped on the screws in the box, or should only one of them be?
Just trying to figure out if something might have been done wrong, but I reinstalled just like it previously was.
Thanks for the assistance in advance 🙏
Oh and the black and beige wires are only connected inside the LINE ports.. nothing went inside the LOAD ports. Yellow tape is still on, as with the previous outlet
@@baldbearded9601 Perfect
Mine all turn off when I test trip them. It's possible yours is just a funky one, after all the outlet still has power even if we test trip it with the buttons. All bond wires should be bonded to the box, one can then come out and bond the outlet after the screw on the box. Hope that helps!
@@theelectricalguide Thanks, yes it helps. But I should have elaborated a bit more though, but didn't want to write a novel.
This outlet in my bathroom, it's also the same circuit breaker switch that controls my entire living room. And if I have the AC on (living room) and I also use a hair dryer (bathroom), after a couple of minutes, the circuit breaker jumps and shuts off, probably from overload.
I'm wondering if that means that I might have to connect some of the wires in the LOAD ports of the outlet as well (instead of 2+2 in LINE), considering they seem to be interconnected.
But I am just trying to 'guesstimate' from what I've read today and I'm genuinely clueless as to how all of this works to be fair, so I might be way off.
But my previous outlet started smoking and melted, hence the replacement. I noticed it before it caught fire, but it could have been bad.
The melting point originated on the "white" side, where the wires are screwed into the outlet, which leads me to believe they got loose and might have caused this whole thing.
But the question is: could this also have been caused by a wrong wire connection by NOT using the "LOAD" ports despite having a few outlets interconnected through the same circuit breaker??
I hope my question makes sense and you understand what I mean. I just don't know if the reasoning is correct, or if maybe I'm overthinking this and circuit breaker overloading is something normal and fine.
Any input will help 🙏 Thanks a lot
@@baldbearded9601 If you previously plugged something into that outlet with 3 prongs like your laptop charger or maybe even your hair dryer and it worked then chances are it was wired correctly even when it melted. Loose connections due indeed cause heat over time.
As for the GFCI the 'line' side is ONLY for the wires feeding power into the gfci. Sometimes they come straight from the panel or maybe they come from your living room. If you were to add an outlet downstream from the GFCI then you would wire that new outlet off the LOAD side of the GFCI and by doing that you would protect the new outlet with GFCI protection.
Hope this helps.
Does the LED green light is always on ?
On the GFCI? Yes it should always be on if the outlet has power. Some different brands have an orange or a red LED light, also normal.
@@theelectricalguide thank you very much, I appreciate your help.
Mine doesn't have a light at all. I was also wondering if when you have a power surge like we had yesterday and then it wouldn't work anymore I went to pull it out of the wall and when the power was off we pushed the button in and it stayed so then we tried the power when we turned the power back on it stayed and we had power there so now it's working should it be replaced because it wasn't working to start off with after the surge or is it okay? I'm thinking it's okay because every time I tested it pops out.
Back porch GFCI. Solid red light and solid green light on mine. Reset button sticking out
Reset won't stick in when pressed? Cycle the buttons a couple times until it holds in when pressed. Resetting that breaker has been known to have an effect on older gfci receptacles.
In an emergency can I safely isolate a circuit like the kitchen in my house by tripping a gfci plug and then back feed that circuit with a power station to a generator?
No, this does not sound safe. You would need a transfer switch if you've got a generator you want to use in an emergency. The transfer switch will enable the generator to power the circuits you've wired to it and interlock the service feed off.
Nobody is answering the question, how to test if you gfci outlet is bad. I have 125v to my breaker. Does this mean my outlet is bad? It keeps tripping after I reset it.
There are a few reasons it may keep tripping. Watch this other video I made that shows a few simple ways to test an outlet, these will apply to GFCI outlets as well. ruclips.net/video/0PoDARg9oD0/видео.html
Mine turns red not green (like yours). I believe that's the only light with it being only red. Does that sound right to you, or have you seen outlets that only have red instead of green?
Yup, sounds normal to me. There are different colour indicator lights.
@@theelectricalguide Great, thank you!
Depending on the brand. Leviton turns RED when there is fault. Double check the manufacture to be sure.
🔥🔥🔥
How did you find me!
@@theelectricalguide 😈 hahaha I never reveal my secrets.
Help...I installed a gfci...only 2 wires...hot and neutral..in the line section...I have power but the gfci tester from Lowe's doesn't trip it.
Hello TB Joshua Collections, GFCI stands for 'ground' fault circuit interrupter. You will need a ground connection for it to properly work and protect you from a "ground fault". Anywhere near water (generally where GFCI outlets are installed) it is especially important to ensure you have a ground connection. Hope that helps!
@@theelectricalguide well I guess so with the tester device but you figure it would work without a ground since that's what is allowed ..install a gfci if you don't have a ground. on the gfci it has its own test that works without a ground but apparently the gfci devices they sell operate with or off a ground in mind...why I have no idea...its a ground fault test in the first place. its understood that 6 feet from water, restrooms, kitchens they would have a ground most likely and still need a gfci but the codes allow a gfci to be installed without a ground since it goes into default without having a ground. my point really was why have a device that only test on the basis of having a ground in play when in part the gfci is made for applications when no ground is available.
@@bentleysw The GFCI is not made for applications where no ground is avaliable. The canadian code (and likley the american code) specifies that if there is no ground you can install a GFCI and bond the box to ground and bond the GFCI to the box which ensures a bond to ground. GFCI works by referencing the ground termination so without one it won't be able to trip therefore it won't be any different than a standard outlet. Basically you're installing a $25 outlet that works as a $2 outlet. The outlet will still supply 120v power normally but will not function as a GFCI. In order to enjoy ground fault protection a ground conductor bonded to the GFCI is mandatory.
@@theelectricalguideHand held GFCI testers Require a ground conductor to trip the GFCI. Some GFCI do not have a ground conductor (legally) . Therefore the hand held will not test/trip the GFCI.
comment please@bentleysw
@@tedlahm5740 hand held GFCI testers connect the line to the ground conductor of the receptacle via a small connection inside the tester when the button is pressed. That simulates a ground fault trip and the GFCI receptacle will trip. The only way a GFCI can not have a ground conductor as you stated but still function would be if the GFCI was instead bonded to a metallic jacket of a cable (very rare). Under all other circumstances a GFCI will not trip without it’s own hardwired connection to ground via a bonding conductor. Hope that helps! 👍
The Google provided GFCI schematics...some test buttons invert a resister to test the circuitry and some do not. Manufacturers vary.
I recommend a "plug-in GFCI tester" to ensure it is wired correctly and trips on a fault.
The button may only test the mechanism and not the sensed conditions.
Also, is it still a monthly test?
Yeah those testers are great, this video is more showing how to easily, quickly and cheaply determine if it's got power and the buttons work properly. Perhaps I should make a video with that tester :)
Plug in GFCI testers Require a Ground conductor. Some GFCI controlled circuits do not have ground conductors. comment please
@@tedlahm5740 I believe you are correct. The tester incerts a large resistance between the hot and ground to create a leak pathway, an actual ground fault.
..."your parents, your wife, your friends will think you're a wizard." Add to that "your husband," because women do this stuff too. Otherwise this is a great channel and I'm loving it.
Facts. You're absolutely right, next time for sure :)
gimme a break. this really needed to be said? god.
@@FruitCakeReaperGive her attention! It's all about her! Always!
It seems to me that pressing these buttons only shows that the internal switches are working. To really test it wouldn't you need to plug something in and create a ground fault from that?
You can totally buy plug in ground fault testers, at the local hardware store I'd think. They should have 3 prongs and a button on top.
What if you can't get it to reset and it was working before , how would I check it
If it won't reset anymore it may not be getting power. Maybe go look and see if any breakers are tripped.
@@theelectricalguide no there wasn't any flipped , it's in the small bathroom
I tied drying I with hair dryer if there was any moisture didn't help
@@kevindavis7747 So the reset button should stick in when you press it. The test button should release it again and then you'd have to press the reset button in again. If the reset button doesn't hold in you likely don't have power there. Go around and check every other gfci outlet in your house.
@@theelectricalguide thanks for input I've tried for 4 days and today it resets. Smh
I'm 99% sure I found a new one that's faulty. Fml
Bummer, another $25ish bucks to replace! Watch my wiring a gfci video :)
It's not sunday yet
Test every 6 months
Great advice!
Why won't a TEST button work? I cannot press it.
There are a few reasons the TEST button might not work:
1) The RESET button has already been popped out and needs to be pressed back in. It should latch, if it doesn't latch there is no power to the outlet.
2) There is no power to the outlet.
3) There is power at the outlet, the reset button is latching and still the test button doesn't trip the outlet. If this is the case the outlet is faulty and should be replaced.
If the fuse is not tripped then should I replace the GFCI?