Multi GFCI's daisy chained
- Thread starter Cletis
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K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I haven't heard of any real problems with the practice.
Who told you there would be such a problem?
Multiple people over the years really. Many of them ol' time master electricians and other electricians. Generally, just showed up, put a new one in on first device, removed unneeded ones and went back to work. Got a call today same situation and started thinking about it, hence the thread
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
What was the nature of the call? Does someone want you to remove GFCI receptacles? Do you have a customer that is having false trip problems and they think it's due to multiple GFCI devices?
From my personal experience, I don't think GFCI devices will false trip because of other such devices on the same circuit because I have not ever seen it happen.
When I hear rumors about our trade, rather than just believe it, I want to see it happen and then get to perform some tests on the circuit.
I don't see that there is an issue with multiple GFCI daisy chained. It would only lead to a pot luck issue if there ever was a GF as to which one would trip.
BUT, to my surprise after changing 2 outdoor outlets to GFCIs the owner complained of a nuisance tripping issue.
I then concluded that one outlet feed the other and I simply replaced the downstream outlet with a std outlet and the problem was solved. Using a GFCI tester everything worked as anticipated.
So, go figure.
BUT, to my surprise after changing 2 outdoor outlets to GFCIs the owner complained of a nuisance tripping issue.
I then concluded that one outlet feed the other and I simply replaced the downstream outlet with a std outlet and the problem was solved. Using a GFCI tester everything worked as anticipated.
So, go figure.
FREEBALL
Senior Member
- Location
- york pa usa
when you say daisy chained do you mean the load of the first GFI feeds the line of the second gfi ? If so yes there can be some nuisance triping pending on the trip curve of the gfi pending on device construction and manufacture. But if they are tapped to line side for each, there shouldn't be an issue
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
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- Electrician
Tends to make communication easier when we use terms like line and load, rather than daisy-chain and downstream, doesn't it?
And I agree with you installing a gfci on the load side of a gfci can cause nuisance tripping.
fwiw, I've seen it more with Leviton than with Eagle or P&S, but that is an entirely subjective observation.
GerryB
Senior Member
- Location
- woodbridge, ct. USA
What would even be the point to that? I would think you either pigtail and use gfi's where needed or one gfi and feed thru to he other outlets.
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
I've mostly seen it in homes where the homeowner (or a handyman) was trying to update the bathroom and kitchen plugs, install a gfci device at every location and wire every one with line/load.
Or not realizing that maybe there's already a gfci breaker for bath/garage/wp receps, or a gfci recep next to the panel that's protecting those areas.
I've also seen lazy electricians make the same mistake, not taking the time to check when they should know better
Yes, they went in line and out the load to each one. There were 5 total. There were 8 receptacles on that circuit as it ended up.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
One thing to keep in mind is that the test button on each GFCI receptacle should only trip that one unit, while a plug in tester could trip any or all of the upstream (line side) receptacles too.
(Just as an actual fault could.)
(Just as an actual fault could.)
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
I also saw it once at a whirlpool tub. Electrician couldn't find any gcfi device or breaker, so he put one under the tub.
Numnutz didn't realize somebody had fed the tub from the receptacle at the sink
Numnutz didn't realize somebody had fed the tub from the receptacle at the sink
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
As long as he provided an access panel it would not be uncommon....
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
As long as he provided an access panel it would not be uncommon....
I meant that he put a gfci under the tub, when it was fed from the sink recep that was already gfci
I've put hundreds of gfci devices under tubs. I try not to nowadays, though
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Was the sink receptacle itself GFCI or was it protected by a GFCI in another bathroom?
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
Another bathroom.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
I guess he did not have a GFCI tester to check out his supply.
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
I had a "lively" discussion with one of our maint. workers today about GFCI's. He was going to replace the GFCI mounted in one of our generators with a standard receptacle. He tried to tell me the GFCI was tripping on over load.
The circuit to the generator is a dedicated 20 amp with a duplex 20 amp rated GFCI. The battery charger is wired off of the line side in case it dose trip it will not kill the charger. There is a 1000w block heater and a 850w battery blanket. So the max load wouldn't be but around 17 amps max. if all three were on at the same time.
Could not get him to understand that a GFCI doesn't trip on overload and if it was tripping my money was on the block heater leaking current to ground.
The circuit to the generator is a dedicated 20 amp with a duplex 20 amp rated GFCI. The battery charger is wired off of the line side in case it dose trip it will not kill the charger. There is a 1000w block heater and a 850w battery blanket. So the max load wouldn't be but around 17 amps max. if all three were on at the same time.
Could not get him to understand that a GFCI doesn't trip on overload and if it was tripping my money was on the block heater leaking current to ground.
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
I guess he did not have a GFCI tester to check out his supply.
He didn't even check it. Lazy assumption that it was a home run
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
I see this a lot on bathroom receptacle circuits. In older homes with only one circuit feeding every bath receptacle in the house there may be a GFCI breaker in the panel and a GFCI type receptacle in every bathroom.
What I think happens is that homeowners and handymem don't normally have any scrap wire and wire nuts when they install the GFCI receptacles so they tend to use the line and load terminals on every GFCI and this does cause problems.
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