GFCI receptacle question

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wirenut1980

wirenut1980

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Plainfield, IN
I have been told that if there is a gfci receptacle on a branch circuit in let's say a residence, and there are other non-gfci receptacles on that same branch circuit, and all the grounding conductors are tied together, then the non-gfci receptacles are protected by the gfci receptacle. How is this possible? I thought that the gfci only compared the current between the hot and neutral wires on the load side of the receptacle only. Essentially it detects leakage to ground, but if this is all on the load side of the receptacle, how does it protect the other receptacles?
 
Re: GFCI receptacle question

The GFCI device will protect the non-GFCI devices if, and only if, it is upstream of them. If you have a non-GFCI outlet, and then go downstream to a GFCI outlet, and then go further downstream to other outlets, then the second and all further outlets are GFCI protected, and the first is not. That would be true whether or not all green wires are tied together.

Your understanding of the operation of the GFCI device is correct.
 
Re: GFCI receptacle question

I believe that GFCI protection of non-GFCI receptacles downstream only works if the wiring to the non-GFCI receptacles ultimately comes from the load side of the GFCI receptacle. That would allow the hot and neutral currents flowing through the non-GFCI receptacles to be compared upstream, as they would pass through the comparing circuitry of the GFCI receptacle.

If, on the other hand, all of the hots and neutrals are connected to the receptacles on the line side only via pigtails, then downstream receptacles would not have protection.

I may be wrong about this, as I prefer to use GFCI breakers instead of receptacles, but I think this is how upstream GFCI receptacles can be wired to protect downstream ones.
 
Re: GFCI receptacle question

I agree, Jeff. It's basically the same thing I had said, but as seen from another viewpoint.
 
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