GFCI Question

[Little Bill]

Lets say you have a junction box and it is being used for a central feeder/connection point. In the box you have your power in, light feed & switch, GFCI line and GFCI load, and feed to other receps from the GFCI load. What would happen if instead of taking the neutral from the GFCI load straight to what it feeds you tied all the neutrals together in the jb?
Would the GFCI work? This would all be one circuit, not a MWBC.

 

[hurk27]

No This wouldn't work as the load neutral will be connected to the line side neutral and act as if it were grounded, it would trip immediately as soon as power was turned on.

 

[hurk27]

Now lets say you kept the load neutral separate from the line neutral but still tied it to the neutrals feeding the lights, since the hot feeding the switch for the lights does not run through the GFCI coil, as soon as the lights are turned on it will trip the GFCI as the GFCI will only see the load on the neutral but not the hot so it will act as an imbalance and trip.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Also the gfci measure the current in and current out. If the neutral was connected ahead of the gfci out then the gfci would read an imbalance and trip.

 

[hurk27]

Here is a PDF that was published by Sam Goldwasser many years ago that explains how GFCI's function, and is a good read on the subject.
Anyone who remembers Sam Facts wiring diagrams for about every thing electronic will remember Sam Goldwasser.

 

[Little Bill]

I know how a GFCI works, I couldn't make myself understand what would happen in my scenario. MWBC kept popping in my head but I knew this scenario didn't include one.
I shouldn't think this hard on a weekend.:happysad:

 

[jumper]

I shouldn't think this hard on a weekend.:happysad:

True, last time you did you forgot to break the tab off that double switch.

 

[Little Bill]

True, last time you did you forgot to break the tab off that double switch.

You're memory is too good.:rant:

 

[jumper]

You're memory is too good.:rant:

Sorry, I could not resist.