ggggrrrrr....

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Little Bill

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
REALLY! you've never fed through on the line side of a GFCI? Just put both under the same terminal...of course provided that it has the provisions for it, as most GFCI's do

No, usually I either have just the 1 GFCI receptacle to wire or load side to downstream GFI protection. I've never looked (or don't remember) to see if you could use 2 wires on 1 screw.
 

Strife

Senior Member
And I guess that's why manufacturers were made to have the receptacle not working if it was wired backwards (if anyone remembers the old GFCI used to work even if they were wired backwards, but the receptacle wasn't protected). Guess the idiot proof tape, and the "LINE/LOAD" stamped on it was not enough.
Sorry, but you asked for it:)

I bought a 3 pack of Leviton TR GFI's from the Home Depot. I install the first one, the green light is on but the outlet doesn't work. I check all connections and test with my wiggy and everything checks out ok. Just a bad gfi which we have all seen.
I install the next one and the same thing happens! I double test everything with a sharper eye and my voltage is good, connections are ok.
I disconnect the wires and check the GFI. The line is supposed to go on the top screws and the load on the bottom!! When did they change this? I have installed 100's of gfi's and have never seen this before. Line is always on the bottom no matter what brand. By the way, these are the new Leviton Slim GFI's. Oh well, just time and money.
 

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
No, usually I either have just the 1 GFCI receptacle to wire or load side to downstream GFI protection. I've never looked (or don't remember) to see if you could use 2 wires on 1 screw.

All the GFCI receptacles I buy have a double backwired screw terminal. Two holes for each screw to put wires into.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Happens to most of us. We get used to seeing things a certain way & get blindsided by simple details if someone changes anything. Especially moments when we are running behind, out at midnight or out in the morning after a midnight service call.:roll:
 

sd4524

Senior Member
Well I looked at gfci # 3 from the 3 pack that I bought today. The "idiot proof tape" was over the load screws. I guess that I pealed the tape off and wired it backwards just like an ...

I hope my post saved one other electrician from doing this too.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I guess that I pealed the tape off and wired it backwards just like an ...

I hope my post saved one other electrician from doing this too.


Another guy and I were trimming out a condo and when done we had one short circuit ....... it turned out at one of the receptacles at the end of a circuit I landed both white and black on one side of the duplex. :grin: Mistakes happen to all of us.
 

qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
Location
Roanoke, VA.
Occupation
Sorta retired........
Another guy and I were trimming out a condo and when done we had one short circuit ....... it turned out at one of the receptacles at the end of a circuit I landed both white and black on one side of the duplex. :grin: Mistakes happen to all of us.

Done that!
 

Jupe Blue

Member
I had the same thing happen to me. Had to run down (ride down really) 22 floors 2 times because I thought I had bad ones. I finally compared lot numbers and realized that it wasn't likely that I would have two bad GFCIs from two different lots. Then I looked at the terminals. Duh!
 
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don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Happens to most of us. We get used to seeing things a certain way & get blindsided by simple details if someone changes anything. ...
About 20 years ago I was installing light switches on one of my jobs. I did not look close before I started and installed the switches in the boxes with the screws on the right side like I have always done. After I had a number of them installed one of my guys asked me why I was installing the switches upside down? That was the only switch I ever saw where you had to install the switch with the screws on the left to put "on" on the top where it belongs.
 
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