Failed inspection

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GG

Senior Member
Location
Ft.Worth, T.X.
How do you deal with inspectors that fail a GFCI for not tripping when they plug in their 3 prong lighted tester, press the GFCI trip button, there is NO ground wire at the outlet, and it obviously wont trip? Those testers work by allowing the ground and neutral to short together when the trip button on them is pushed so with no ground the tester will not work.
 
jxofaltrds

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
GG said:
How do you deal with inspectors that fail a GFCI for not tripping when they plug in their 3 prong lighted tester, press the GFCI trip button, there is NO ground wire at the outlet, and it obviously wont trip? Those testers work by allowing the ground and neutral to short together when the trip button on them is pushed so with no ground the tester will not work.
Click to expand...

Politely remind him that the device is the only approved 'testing' method.

Or use your wiggy to trip it.
 
1793

1793

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Occupation
Inspector
GG said:
How do you deal with inspectors that fail a GFCI for not tripping when they plug in their 3 prong lighted tester, press the GFCI trip button, there is NO ground wire at the outlet, and it obviously wont trip? Those testers work by allowing the ground and neutral to short together when the trip button on them is pushed so with no ground the tester will not work.
Click to expand...

If no equipment ground is present make sure there is a sticker, supplied, stating "No Equipment Ground" attached to the receptacle and or plate.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Tell him to call the manufacturer of the device and he will see he is wrong or you can tell him to read this thread. :D
 
quinn77

quinn77

Senior Member
Location
Lake Jackson, TX USA
did you install labels stating "no equipment ground" at the receptacle. with no label most insp. will use said tester, put the labels on and they'll just push the test button. my experience.
ps...code reference is 406.3(d)(3)(b)

oopsa. looks like 3 posts made it in before mine. reduntant again!
 
G

GG

Senior Member
Location
Ft.Worth, T.X.
The "no EG" stickers were on. I was not on the job when it failed or I would have told him his high dollar tester is garbage . The GC that was there said he looked at my service mast as it went through the roof and said "that sure doesnt look like 4 feet". This is the chief city electrical inspector which is scary to think what he does all day. The code calls for 3' but I usually go 4' just for the heck of it so it was actually 4' anyway.
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
GG said:
How do you deal with inspectors that fail a GFCI for not tripping when they plug in their 3 prong lighted tester, press the GFCI trip button, there is NO ground wire at the outlet, and it obviously wont trip?
Click to expand...

Throatpunch.

I had nothing worthwhile to add to the answers already given.
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
cpal said:
ouch!!!!!!!!!!!
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I second that ouch, but as bizzare as it may sound, I agree with the method. ;)

An inspector should know the limits of his/her equipment.

Roger
 
H

hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
John120/240 said:
Apply the little stickers that say " No equipment ground " On a different note, how

would this inspector test 2 wire recptacles ?
Click to expand...

Many years ago I took one of those 3-prong to two prong adapters the one that had the little green pig tail ground wire sticking out with the fork terminal, anyways I cut the fork terminal off and but spliced about 75' of #16 AWG stranded wire to it and put an large alligator clip on the other end, anytime I did ungrounded receptacles I could plug in my 3-light GFCI tester into the adapter and connect the other end to any water pipe or other ground and the tester would trip the GFCI, had a inspector who saw me use this when he complained that he couldn't get the GFCI to trip or test the receptacles, he thought it was the neatest contraption in the world, so I gave it to him, told him I would just make another, never did though. saw him a few years after that and he said he made several of them for other inspectors, asked me wheres mind told him I never made another, about a week later I found the one I gave him hanging from the panel with a green tag LOL, we have been best friends ever since.

It would also show up a hotted neutral if it was bootlegged
 
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