GFCI Outlet Wiring
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- In this video, Chris shows how to wire a GFCI outlet, and how to protect other outlets from a GFCI outlet.
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Very simple, clear, and perfectly paced tutorial. You are a great teacher. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you for a simple video. My outlet is now working. I wish all DIY videos were this clear. Well done, HandyDad.
Thanks so much 😊
This is cool I didn’t know you could protect the following series like that. Thanks
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you 🙏🏽. Never knew about line and load and once I found my hot wire it was easy to connect everything else. Replaced a socket whom was suppose to be CFCI and after hours of searching you explained to the T. Once again thank you Sir.
My pleasure! Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Good job!! Now I understand how GFCI works and how to change it when it broke. Thank you 🙏
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Great video. I wasn't sure about the ground to the "downstrea" outlets. You answered my question perfectly
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thanks so much HandyDad! Straight to the point. I'm going to shop for one of those screwdrivers now.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you so much for everything you're doing. Your videos are the best, I'm very glad I found your channel. I'm learning a lot from your videos about electric wiring. Thank you.
Thanks so much 😊
You are so clear and make it so simple thank you.
My pleasure
great tutorial and very easy to follow. So much thank!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Crystal clear- Thank you
Very interesting video- Good to learn
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you. Load side was confusing me. ☑️ for the help.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
thank you. This was very helpful. I didn't realize you had to hit the reset button after installing the receptacle
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
very well and clearly explained sir.. thanks for taking the time.
My pleasure!
I was trying to find a video that was very clear after I have been trying to do this, and I came to the realization that I skipped a step that you mentioned. I did not press the reset button on the GFCI. Thanks a bunch!
Glad it helped!
Well done
That'll get you thinking, 🤔 did I mess this up? 😂
Well after watching this video I'll be honest I feel more confident on what i am doing. Simple and not complicated.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Great video. Thank you !
My pleasure!
Really nice explainer!
Thanks 😊
Thank you!!!! Very grateful
My pleasure!
Thanks for a great video.
My pleasure!
thank you clear an simple
My pleasure!
I know how to do this but I told my cousin to watch this video very well explained
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you very much, it took me hours to install one, and i dtill dint know if its right. Tomorrow im goung yo liok at it using your way.
👍🏻
Great job thanks
My pleasure!
I need to replace a receptacle that feeds other receptacles or outlets, but I have a metal box. Do I pigtail the additional outlets and receptacles the same as in the video?
Thank you, your presentation is great.
If you’re replacing a GFCI outlet, by default you should always connect the wires exactly as they were on the old one.
thank you. Just enough information to get her done.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you.great video. Helpful.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I'm installing a sump pump outlet from an old plug box in my basement. Question I did notice a ground their can i still wire this as a GFI recepticle
should have said didn't notice a ground there
You can still use a GFCI outlet without a ground, but if you have a metal box, it’s probably grounded.
That very was so clear and well made. I have a slightly different scenario that I can’t figure out. I have an older house and I want to swap an older outlet in the bathroom with a GFCI. As I’m working on the project, I realized that the outlet is also powering the bathroom light downstream. There’s one black wire, a ground, and two whites. Can I install a GFCI in this scenario?
You can always replace a standard outlet with a GFCI. Just connect the wires to the LINE screws on the GFCI.
Clarification: connect the same wires that were connected to the old outlet.
@@handydadtv Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I connected the wires to the GFCI exactly the way they were connected to the old outlet, and it gave me a fault (red light) on the GFCI. Just to be clear: the only black wire was connected to the golden LINE, the white feeding the outlet was connected to the LINE on the silver side, and the white feeding the light fixture was connected to the LOAD silver. The ground was also connected. Unless I’m missing something (which is very likely)I think I can’t take advantage of the GFCI protection unless I open the wall and figure out the wiring and dig out the live wire feeding the light. So I went to buy a brand new standard outlet and rewired everything like it was on the old outlet and everything works fine now. (I don’t feel like opening the wall right now!)
Thanks again.
The fault was probably caused because both neutrals should have been connected to the LINE screw. You shouldn’t be using the LOAD screws.
@@handydadtvI think I might try that tomorrow. Thanks again!
Thank you
My pleasure!
Good stuff
Thanks 😊
HI YOU MAKE IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND THANK YOU. i wanted to ask so im fixing to wire my garage and i want to know if i should do the entire outlets pigtails/parallel or if i should wire them in series. thank you.
Thanks 😊 Always wire outlets in parallel (white to white; black to black). You only need pigtails if you don’t have enough screws.
Some local codes forbid the use of a wago for the bare copper wires. You have to use a wire nut and keep twisting until the wires just below the wire nut coil up like a braid.
@BradThePitts This is news to me. Do you have a reference that shows where Wagos are not permitted?
damn really good video!
Thanks 😊
If I have three sets of wires coming into the GFCI and I want to add an additional plug down stream. What is the connection? Does the other plug need to be a GFCI as well. This scenario is in a bathroom wall. Thanks for the great video.
Don’t change the existing connections. But connect the new outlet to the LOAD terminals on the GFCI if you want it protected. Hopefully it’s a nice deep box for all those wires.
Could you put a gfi breaker in panel instead of gfi outlet ?
Yes indeed! Much more expensive though.
Très bon vidéo, très bien expliqué et très claire.
Je me demandais, pour un circuit extérieur, peut-on brancher 2 ou 3 prise GFCI en série ?
English?
Very helpful. Thank you.. Q: Instead of WAGO lever nut, could I use a green plastic ground connector ( you have show in other videos) to combine ground wires?
Yes absolutely! On those videos, people always ask if they NEED that special grounding wire connector and I always have to say no. 😂
Be careful!!! The LINE and LOAD of the GFCI can be either on the top or bottom depending on manufacturer. The markings are not always easy to read. I learned this myself and it drove me nuts!!!
Yes indeed. Thanks.
What happens if you wire it up backwards?
The outlet will not be protected. The test button will not work.
Great video! Can I wire multiple gfci outlets on the same circuit?
Yes, but independently. It’s not recommended (or necessary) to wire a second GFCI from the LOAD terminals of an existing GFCI.
@@handydadtv I appreciate the response thank you
Great explanation like all ways.. good English communication… grammar
Thanks so much 😊
Hi Handy Dad. Love your work. My question is I am installing a GFCi in a dual outlet situation and feeding two other loads from it. Do I wire the GFCI directly to the adjacent outlet and wayco for the other two loads, or do use a wayco to join all the other three loads together? Thanks, Paul
If you want (or need) the downstream outlets to be GFCI protected, wire them to the LOAD screws.
I would recommend the 2 GFCI scenario
Do you mean like this? czcams.com/video/dbmRETinw0A/video.html
@@handydadtv Yes. The code, yet again, does not limit the amount of receptacles protected under each GFCI. So builders would put in the least "minimum" required in each home. Id it due to cost? Of coooooooooooourse!! LOL Which takes me back to the importance of explaining the best practice vs code. I look at it this way, CODE IS THE BARE MINIMUM NOT THE BEST PRACTICE. Code is there to prevent those who love shortcuts and could potentially cause serious devastating disasters. Thank you for the amazing content and chat! Cheers~
Awesome
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you for the video. One question - can you put two line/neutral wires on the same screw?
I have this situation (o = outlet, po=protected outlet)
---> o1 ---- o2 ---- o3 ---- o4 ---->
I'm adding three outdoor outlets like this:
---> o1 ---- o2 ----- GFCI ----o3 ---- o4 ---->
|----> po1
|----> po2
(Off the GFCI I'll run a line to two other outside protected outlets.)
I do NOT need any outlets (o1, o2, o3 or o4) to be protected as they are existing outlets inside the house.
In order to save space in the GFCI box, I would like to take the wire from o2 and the wire going to o3 and put them right in the screw holes on the GFCI and not use jumpers. Having 3 jumpers (black, white, ground) instead of just one jumper (ground) would take up a lot of space in the box and make it really difficult to get everything in.
Thanks so much for your help.
Lucky for you, most GFCI outlets are back-wired devices that can support two wires per screw. The only one you’d need to pigtail is the ground.
thank you for this, so in this scenario you’re not able to use wagos and pig tails for the hot and neutral to the GFI?
No, you can always have the option to use pigtails.
@@handydadtv
I have a gfci outlet installed already with the green light on but no power coming thru. What might be my issue sir? Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
Thanks for making this video. I have connected 12 gauge wire from a 15 gauge wire to a GFCI outlet and from that GFCI added 6 additional outlets. Will upsizing the wire (15 to 12) cause all of the outlets to not work? Also the breaker is a 20 amp breaker.
A 20 amp breaker requires 12 gauge minimum. If you have any thinner wire on the circuit, it is a fire hazard. You either need to replace the thinner wire or downgrade the breaker.
@@handydadtv the wire runs the entire length of the house, it is white assuming that is 14 gauge? It will be easier to change the breaker. Thanks for your help!
@I-build-crafts Don’t trust the color because all Romex was originally white. Look for AWG written on the jacket.
That is interesting. As far as I know this home was built in 1986. Is the a wire gauge tester to help identify the wire size? Visually it looks like the same as 12 gauge wire. Thanks again!
Color coding started in 2001 so it makes sense that yours is white throughout the house. Since it’s a 20-amp breaker, you can reasonably expect the wire is 12 AWG even if you can’t see the jacket writing.
So would you pig tail all the subsequent outlets downstream of the GFI outlet or wire them as the first one downstream of the GFI?
You only need to pigtail when you have more wires than screws.
At @7:31, you mentioned you can hook up additional outlets to the GFCI outlet to be protected, can you elaborate how one does that? For instance, I have a bathroom GFCI outlet. When I look at the contacts at the back of the outlet, there are already wires connected to the line and load screws. So, would I just disconnect the black and white wires attached to the "load" contacts, bring in the additional black and white wires from the new outlet and connect the two whites together with a white pigtail (ie. 3 wires in a wirenut) and connect the pigtail to the silver load screw? And then similarly for the black wires?
Yes pigtail the new outlet to the load wires of you want it protected.
My question I want to a light fixture outside my closest outlet is a GFCI. This will be a motion light. Do I wire from the load size of the gfci to protect the light fixture and to have constant power?
You can pigtail it to the Line terminals. If you use the Load terminals, the light would go off if the GFCI trips. You don’t want that.
if i may ask Do a video how to wire a gfci outlet with 2 more other outlets coming into the load
I’ll put it on my list. But adding outlets is explained here: czcams.com/video/-WufbstcvRw/video.html
I was wondering, for an outdoor circuit, can we connect 2 or 3 GFCI plugs in series?
Yes but connect them all to the LINE screws only. Only non-GFCI outlets get connected to the LOAD screws.
Hi i watched your video very good the second part was what i had to do so i connected all wires in order but no power at gfi or outlet connected by gfi the LED light is on and its green and it wont trip or reset any ideas what i did wrong
Probably reversed the LINE and LOAD.
Hello jeff. First, 🙏thank a lot for all your magnificent tutorials. Now, I have a question, how can I wire a GFCI from a light fixture and have it on all the time even when I turn off the light switch, can that be done?
Drop the light fixture and see how it’s wired. You need constant hot and neutral. The light will definitely have a neutral, but it may only have a switched hot.
@@handydadtv I do have neutral and constant hot on light fixture
@@handydadtv can you shut a video for this... Wired light fixture to GFCI procedure?
@LuisLopez-tz3ey Follow the directions with the GFCI. Connect the hot and neutral to the LINE screws just like I showed in this video.
I am looking to add a switch to control a gfci outlet. Would I wire this the same way but just go through the switch first?
Yes. Follow this video czcams.com/video/2Pue6CpaQ8s/video.html and only switch the hot wire.
Instead of additional outlets can 2 light switches be added in similar fashion?
Yes indeed.
@lynnmoe2241 0 seconds ago
Thank you for helping/showing me how to hook up a GFC combo. I Got a 20amp It-swtch/gfc and was at a loss for clear direction in hooking up the light switch/gfc on btm added back wires: on a orange hot, yellow neutral and red to It/ switch /power. The other wire to share w line in/hot. Question?? I used a Wago 221 on the one gfc -asred its #14 aluminum stranded to # 12 awg copper, tapped levers down and solid in box, should I use that anti corrosive-paste in the Wago?? The led light is low watt and all other connections are Tessa taped (good stuff). inside wall no humidity/dry. Or should I redo with a yellow good nut cap.. Thx in advance Lynn
No need for anti-corrosive paste in Wagos.
How do get from an open ground light on to wired correctly two lights on for my GFI in the bathroom?
GFCI Switch and Outlet Combo
czcams.com/video/LEoKLdRWUFE/video.html
Does the line have to come straight from the circuit breaker box ?
No
I'm searching and found a 20A &15A GFCI outlets. I need something to handle 120V and 1300W. Is a 20A outlet better?
You should only use a 20-amp device on a 20-amp circuit. Check the breaker.
Even a 15-amp circuit/receptacle will handle your 1300-watt hair dryer.
Can I use the load side to feed a switch for a light?
Yes, especially if it’s a metal light in a wet location, it doesn’t hurt to have the light protected by GFCI.
If you only have 2 wires and no ground on old house does it matter which wire goes where? Thanks.
Yes it matters.
If I want to add a third outlet, is it okay to be wired out of the second receptacle or it needs to be out of the GFCI ?
You can do it either way. Do whatever is easiest.
How do you connect the wires for more than one outlet in series from a single GFCI outlet?
Just like adding an outlet to a non-GFCI outlet: czcams.com/video/-WufbstcvRw/video.html
can you connect a smart switch to a GFCI outlet in case installing lights run by that smart switch?
Absolutely.
Great vid.
Question: why don't all outlets use gcfi?
It’s an unnecessary expense in low-risk areas of your home.
@@handydadtv I figured why not go dirt cheap and maximize profit
Great video. I have a question for you, I replaced a gfci outside my house, just replaced the wires like they were on the old one. Hit the reset button and the green light came on, but there is no power to the plug ins. I plug something in and it don't work. I tested the terminal's at the in line and there is power, but no power when I plug something in. Do you have any ideas?
If you’re SURE you connected the wires to the LINE side, try a different GFCI.
@@handydadtv Thanks for your help. The new gfci was reversed. Line on top and Load on the bottom. Same brand ! you would think that they would be the same. Thanks again.
Dave C.
How wiring two three ways switch with GFIC or blub
That’s a very specific scenario. I don’t have a video on that. Sorry.
I’m trying to put a gfci in an outlet where the old outlet is currently wired so that there are two sets of cables coming into the outlet and the hot wire from one is on top, but the white wire from the other set of cables is opposite it. The same thing on the bottom- the other hot wire is across from the whit from the other set of wires. I’ve tried wiring the gfci the same as the original and also tried a number of other combinations. The green light comes on, but it won’t supply any power from the gfci to devices. Any thoughts?
Wire them to the LINE screws only.
If metal box do you protect with electrical tape
Some people wrap receptacles with electrical tape, but an electrician told me that’s actually a fire hazard.
Love your videos, especially the DIYer mistake ones.
Situation & Question: I have fully documented a circuit which has a single GFCI breaker outlet. The circuit has eleven devices, 3 switches, 8 outlets. Of the 8 other outlets 4 are non-GFCI outlets which are close to water sources, in 3 other baths and kitchen, which makes me think those outlets should also be GFCI protected. In reviewing my Leviton documentation for installing GFCI outlets, my interpretation is that a single GFI outlet, placed as close to the breaker as possible would provide GFCI protection to all downstream devices. It seems to me that a single GFCI device would protect all exposed downstream water adjacent outlets, thus not needing to install a GFCI outlet at each water exposed box. Is this understanding correct? FYI: ChatGPT said this understanding is correct.
I determined the exiting GFCI outlet is at the end of the circuit simply because it’s in a single wire box, only a line wire, no load wire. Given the context of the circuit with all the other GFCI at-risk outlets ignored and upstream of the existing GFCI outlet doesn’t that question the competence of the original installing electricians. It appears the one GFCI outlet was installed just to make it appear they considered GFCI risk?
Background: Home has 4 bathrooms, 2850 sq. ft.,1986 construction home with neutral wires throughout. I am a DYIer with a number of years of upgrading my homes high voltage circuits. Two objectives: Cosmetic decora modernization, complete smart home functionality.
Well if ChatGPT agrees, it must be true!
The easiest solution is to install a GFCI breaker. But that’s not always the cheapest option.
However, my opinion is that I always want the GFCI in the same room as any protected outlets. That way I can hear it trip and don’t need to search where to reset it.
I'm finding it difficult to follow along with your circuit description. You should not have any kitchen receptacles sharing a circuit with bathroom receptacles. In the mid 70's GFCI protected outlets were required in all bathroom receptacles and outdoor and garage and basement if unfinished. That's it. Kitchens were not yet required to have GFCI protection within 6' of the sink until later, but I don't know when exactly that was added. But even in the 70's kitchen outlets and bathroom outlets could not be combined on a circuit.
What's the name of the yellow plug-in tool you used to test for electricity in the outlet?
handydad.tv/vb2r
What if you have two lines coming in how do you connect it to the gfci ?
Connect them both to the LINE side.
My garage door outlet on have 2 wires and doesn’t have a ground wire i’m trying to add an outlet for my sprinkler system can i still do it w/o ground wire?plan to replace my old outlet to gfci too
You may have shielded cable and the box is grounded. Still install a GFCI even if only using the black and white wires. The screws will carry ground to the box.
@@handydadtv can i still add an outlet and can i wired it to the GFCI because im using romex there is white black and brass color. Thank you for you reply
I suggest you verify the GFCI box is grounded first (use a voltage tester across hot and the box). If it is, then go ahead an add another outlet with Romex, but make sure to bond the ground wire to the box with a screw before connecting it to the green screw on the GFCI.
I have multiple outlets on the same breaker. Does that mean I wire my gfci to load side?
3 white and 3 black wires pig tailed into box
You only need to use the LOAD terminals if you want the downstream outlets to be GFCI protected. If you just need this one outlet to be protected, just attach the pigtails to the LINE terminals.
I have 6 wires, 3 white, 3 black coming into a normal receptacle that’s protected, how do I hook up a GFCI to that receptacle? How do you wire multiple GFCI on the same circuit?
This will be helpful: czcams.com/video/dbmRETinw0A/video.html
I replaced an ordinary outlet with a gfci but keeps popping up the circuit breaker on the gfci. I tested for power with the popped circuit and I still get 120v . What can it be .?
Double check that you used the LINE screws, not the LOAD.
I need help My house from 1970 so I’m upgrading outlet and switches never been changed noticed that the copper wires are bigger than the new ones and each outlet has 5 wires green, red, black and two whites and some outlets are run by switches
My advice is to rewire them exactly as you found them. It will be a lot more work to figure out where each of those wires go.
Be sure to watch this to learn how to Switch HALF an Outlet:
czcams.com/video/5D4itWGtTVQ/video.html
I just put in a GFCI green light comes on but the plugs not working what can I try to do ?
Use a voltage tester to troubleshoot.
How many plugs and light switches can you continuously wire on a GFCI?
I just did an outdoor restroom, and I want to do the electrical work,
You’re not limited by the number of outlets. You’re limited by the maximum amperage of your circuit.
How would you add a lights switch to two outlets ?
How to Switch an Outlet
czcams.com/video/2Pue6CpaQ8s/video.html
@@handydadtv thank you
Does an outdoor receptacle in a waterproof box have to be a GFCI it’s already protected by a GFCI inside the house?
Not if it’s already protected.
@@handydadtv great! I ask because I understand it’s protected but Google search says there has to be a GFCI on an outdoor receptacle. I guess just put the “protected by GFCI” sticker on it and it’ll be up to code.
Correct.
Hi sir i have 2 outlet in the kitchen and they are not GFI and i want install GFI but both outlets have one black wire coming in and its hot and also have a red wire coming in that is also hot and i say hot wires because if i flip both brakers it turns them off so i tried installing 2 GFI and i connected the hot black wire to the line and the red wire to the load but it doesn't work it flips both brakers what im doing wrong please help
It’s impossible for me to say. Please call a professional.
so if water submerges the lightbulb outlet, nothing bad will happen to that lightbulb outlet?
No, that’s wrong. The outlet is not made to be submerged and it’ll ruin the electronics for sure.
@@handydadtv Thank you, okay but let's say a toaster is connected to the lightbulb outlet and it is dropped in a tub of water, would the first gfci outlet trip and disable the lightbulb/toaster outlet from shocking people in the tub?
@gotwrekt Yes
Well, I ass-ume, since half my house's wires don't have a ground wire, I can leave that part out, ha! The electrician that replaced the fuse panel with a breaker box said the outlets that "read"... "open ground" with the tester are protected by the 15 & 20 amp breakers, but? Sure hate to find out the hard way, especially in the bathroom & kitchen near the sinks. I may add GFI outlets to be on the safe side.
I’d get to work rewiring that place.
@@handydadtv 😆, Can't afford that my brother, just a poor old retired carpenter. But, did run a new "homerun"? Romex to the washing machine outlet. (Fun attic work)
If you have an idea of how to add/wire a breaker to the breaker box, please do share the info.
If you’re retired, you’ve got the time to rewire one circuit at a time. 😉
The only breakers I’ve added were for EV charging and this one for underfloor heating: czcams.com/video/YjqM-QkGBlY/video.html
@@handydadtv dam-it, you went too fast, lol! I'm going to run one more wire for/in a room (last one!), I'm working on. (drywall still a mess), at least the three outlets will be on their own circuit. I'll have to get help to wire them to the panel. Looks easy, but never done anything like this before.
Whats going on with the grounds?
They’re all connected.
How to do wiring gfci?
That’s what’s shown in this video.
My question is I have a prexisting outlet in our half bath and just above the base board. I want to add a GFCI by jumping from that outlet. Not sure if I connect it to the line or load side of the GFCI. Please advise.
That outlet should already be GFCI protected. If it’s not, put the GFCI there and wire the new outlet to the LOAD side of the GFCI.
Ok thank you for the quick reply.@@handydadtv
@@handydadtv at minute five forty you say that the line isn't protected. Does that mean the top of the outlet isn't protected as well or if it takes too much load with the gfci go off?
@tonychavez4056 The LINE side of the GFCI (the top screws on this brand) is power coming from the circuit breaker. I say “unprotected” because you can shocked there. But the LOAD side is for downstream outlets that will be protected.
In Europe if you use those screwdrivers for any electrical work you are considered a failed electrician
Here, we use what we have.
And I always thought that the states had more advanced techniques and tools, but I guess I was wrong. @@handydadtv