GFCI Wiring question

[kayakrguy]

Friends,

I finally have got to the point of wiring my GFCI receptacles.
I am concerned only about the DOWNSTREAm GFCI's

The load wires will be coming out of the first receptacle to the 2nd one..
Do the wires attach to the load terminals on the second receptacle or do the attach to the line terminals on the second receptacle...

Thanks,

Jim

[SteveH]

Jim,

They would attach to the line side of the second receptical. Don't know how many recepticals or circuits you have, but the first GFI can protect several more on the same circuit, so you may not need but one.

[cleonard]

If you are planning on several GFCI's, don't connect them in series. This si what you are describing in your question. Everything connect to the "LOAD" on the GFCI is ground fault protected. You can just run standard outlets. Just be sure to put that GFCI in an easily accessible location so you can get to it easily if it trips. If you want to have several GFCI's just connect the "LINE" of all of them to the input power to your trailer. Do not run them in series.

[Alphacarina]

If you want to have several GFCI's just connect the "LINE" of all of them to the input power to your trailer. Do not run them in series.

True - Only one is really needed, because it provides protection to all the downstream outlets. but if you run two (or more) wire them in parallel as Cleonard suggests

Don

[kayakrguy]

Thanks guys,

I just tested the installation and everything came up roses. Neighbors lights went out but my circuit tester said it wasn't my fault

Ok, Just kidding. Test buttons and circuit tester both said everything ok...

thanks,

Jim

[asianflava]

If you want to have several GFCI's just connect the "LINE" of all of them to the input power to your trailer. Do not run them in series.

True - Only one is really needed, because it provides protection to all the downstream outlets. but if you run two (or more) wire them in parallel as Cleonard suggests

Don

Another benefit is it much cheaper doing it this way. You only need to buy one GFCI outlet, the rest are plain ole regular ones.

[diverguy]

i am not an electrical person, i know just enough to be dangerous. it would really be helpful if someone could post a diagram of (in detail) of two or three outlets wired together, the first with GFIC and the rest protected by it. something with wire color, screw color, on both the first outlet and the downstream outlets.

[kayakrguy]

WG,

I'm gonna try to answer your question about GFCI circuit wiring. I ASSUME you are going to have a GFCI receptacle as the FIRST receptacle in your circuit and the rest are to be regular receptacles.

I'm gonna do this step by step, and I hope it is clear.

First, you MUST use a 3 wire circuit for a GFCI system to work. The 3 wires are: The HOT wire (usually black) The NEUTRAL (usually white) and the GROUND (usually Green) You can, if you want, use other colors but BE CONSISTENT, e.g. yellow always used as HOT etc it makes things much easier

Second, All receptacles come with GOLD and SILVER and GREEN screws. You ALWAYS hook the HOT wire to the GOLD ,
THE NEUTRAL wire to the SILVER screw and the GROUND wire to the GREEN screw.

Start your circuit with the GFCI outlet. Wire the incoming HOT wire to the GOLD screw on the LINE end of the receptacle. Wire the incoming NEUTRAL to the SILVER SCREW and the Ground wire (may be bare or green) to the GREEN screw.

Next, wire the outgoing wire FROM the GFCI to the LOAD end GOLD an SILVER screws. The GROUND on the outgoing wire MUST be connected to the ground wire on the GFCI. You can do this a number of ways: 1) if you have a long enough piece of ground wire, connect it directly to the incoming ground wire at the top of the GFCI; 2) cut a piece of bare wire, connect it to the outgoing ground wire and then connect it to the incoming ground wire at the top of the GFCI.

Third, following the above, take the load wire black, white and green wires to the regular receptacles....attach per above on the top screws.
If you are going to continue to other regular outlets further along, then wire the bottom of the regular outlet the same way you did the GFCI and take that wire to the next outlet etc...

Remember: For GFCI's to work you must ALWAYS be sure the ground wires are connected all the way through the circuit. You MUST NOT ever reverse the hot and neutral wires on the gold and silver screws.

I hope that helps and if I have made a goof I hope people will correct me..

[asianflava]

i am not an electrical person, i know just enough to be dangerous. it would really be helpful if someone could post a diagram of (in detail) of two or three outlets wired together, the first with GFIC and the rest protected by it. something with wire color, screw color, on both the first outlet and the downstream outlets.

I looked to see if any were posted on the internet but none of the ones I found were clear. When I bought the GFCI outlets for the tear, I opened one up and looked at the instructions (yes I did look at the instructions which is so unmanly) I saw a diagram that explained it all. It was a case of going back to Home Depot and returning the 3 $12 GFCI outlets for 3 $2 outlets.

[bobhenry]

And the best part is when you get all done and all the outlets work.

No one mentioned the test button if you press it and every body is wired correctly all gfi protected outlets should be dead. A great quick check !

[Mary K]

i am not an electrical person, i know just enough to be dangerous. it would really be helpful if someone could post a diagram of (in detail) of two or three outlets wired together, the first with GFIC and the rest protected by it. something with wire color, screw color, on both the first outlet and the downstream outlets.

Sweet, I can do this for ya. Might take me a day or so to research it...in other words, when I get home tonight and look and see how I did it... CRS ya know....

Mk

[Mary K]

Hey, looky what I found......



Found it it here. http://tinyurl.com/3yv34s

Mk

[kayakrguy]

some additonal points....

Get a circuit tester! They are cheap, easily had at HF and other tool/hardware places. They are good for testing your own wiring but also for testing campground wiring. The campground wiring might have a gound fault which trips your GFCI. Nothing wrong with your circuit, but you wouldn't be able to test that without a circuit tester.

Second, you really need to not be penny wise/ pound foolish. It is true that one GFCI at the front of a cirucit will protect the downstream receptacles...

BUT....

If that GFCI fails and does not trip, you won't know it and then there is NO GF protection anywhere on the circuit. Sometimes, depending on the situation, it is prudent to put GFCI's together on one circuit.

Do be sure to test the GFCI's regularly!

JW