Heads up on a common mistake I keep seeing with ground fault outlets

In my experience, a lot of folks are wiring GFCI outlets with the line and load backwards. I saw it three times last month alone on service calls. The problem is, it will still pass a basic plug-in tester, but it won't actually protect the downstream outlets like it's supposed to. I found one in a kitchen remodel where the homeowner said their toaster kept tripping a breaker, and sure enough, the load side wires were on the line terminals. The GFCI would reset, but it was basically just a regular outlet at that point. It's a simple fix once you know, but it leaves a real safety gap if you don't catch it. Has anyone else run into this a lot lately, or found a good way to explain it to helpers on the job?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_sanchez7516d ago

Sounds fine if it still trips...

the_wesley16d ago

Actually, it's not fine if it still trips.

andrew_rivera11d ago

My old apartment had that. The breaker was worn out and would get hot, tripping at like 80% of its rated load.