Faceless/Dead front GFCI

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electricguy

Senior Member
I Have a 14/2 wire circuit with no ground. I installed the dead front GFCi device at the panel. Is there any reason why the GFCI small 3 light tester will not trip the gfci device on the downstream receptacles.
I can not remember the reason for this it has been a while since I have installed these GFCI devicesfor this purpose
 

Bobhook149

Senior Member
I can not see any reason why it would not trip it. Sounds like it is faulty, try installing another.

bob
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
plug in testers use the ground as part of the test. They won't work in this sitaution. Trust the primary test button :smile:
make sure your downstream outlets turn off when you test.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
I'll bet that, if you don't believe Dennis and Gus, you can figure a way to rig a temporary "known" ground to the tester ground male prong. Once in place, the tester will work. :smile:
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Doug, the built-in test button mimics a shock by placing one end of a resistor on the hot wire after the current-sensing coil, and before the sensor on the grounded (neutral) wire.

The plug-in tester does not have access to the neutral ahead of the sensor, so it must use the EGC as an artificial neutral. But, you have no such EGC available.

If you used a 3-wire-to-2-wire grounding adapter (aka a "cheater"), and connected the green wire to a good ground, the plug-in tester would work. (What Al said.)
 
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