Any electricians out there?

twopu · 01-07-06, 08:39

One of my outlets outside wasn't working so I took the cover off and found that it wasn't connected.

I decided to replace it with a new GFI outlet and it worked. The next day I went into the garage to plug in my PC and it wasn't working, the outlet was dead. I turned off the power and found that the two outlets are on the same breaker. Does anyone know what I can do to fix this or do I just have to disconnect the outside one to use the one in the garage. Please keep explainations simple because I know very little about electrical work.
Thanks

jfelbab · 01-07-06, 10:20

Most GFI outlets have an extender capability built in so you can control another non-gfi outlet from the breaker in the GFI outlet. Look at the instructions from the GFI receptacle and wire accordingly if you want the garage outlet to be GFI too. If you don't, just connect the garage outlet to the GFI receptacle's input power terminals. There should be a diagram in the instructions. Typically they are also labeled on the back or side of the GFI receptacle.

This is assuming that the Garage wires go through the same box as the gfi receptacle. It is pretty simple really.

twopu · 01-07-06, 12:56

Thanks for the help!!! Like I said I know very little about electrical work so I will try to find the instructions and decipher all this.

chpsk8 · 01-07-06, 03:35

OK, so you have two outlets on the same circuit. One is GFCI and the other is a regular outlet. The GFCI is outside, and the regular outlet is inside.
When you used it today the inside outlet is dead. Was the GFCI tripped outside, or did the breaker blow?

twopu · 01-08-06, 06:19

No the GFCI did not trip and the breaker did not blow.

chpsk8 · 01-08-06, 07:03

But the second outlet was not working...

hmmm... sounds like they are not wired in series. Hang on, I'll see if I can get a diagram.

tkersting · 01-08-06, 07:06

I am no electrician, but I just wired my garage yesterday and had a similiar problem. It sounds like you did not wire the GFCI correctly and the other outlet is "downstream" from the GFCI. My GFCI had a "line" and "load" terminals and it is important which ones go where. Just read the GFCI instructions and you should be able to do this. Maybe just swap where you have them wired on the GFCI now, ie you probably have the line and load switched. Also with my GFCI you should be able to test it when wired correctly, when I miswired mine I could not test it. Good luck.

06E90 · 01-09-06, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkersting

I am no electrician, but I just wired my garage yesterday and had a similiar problem. It sounds like you did not wire the GFCI correctly and the other outlet is "downstream" from the GFCI. My GFCI had a "line" and "load" terminals and it is important which ones go where. Just read the GFCI instructions and you should be able to do this. Maybe just swap where you have them wired on the GFCI now, ie you probably have the line and load switched. Also with my GFCI you should be able to test it when wired correctly, when I miswired mine I could not test it. Good luck.

I had the exact same thing happen to me, the GFCI was wired wrong. Changing the wires corrected it.

twopu · 01-09-06, 03:28

I must have the same GFCI as you do because it won't work if wired incorrectly. I must have wired it correctly because it works.

06E90 · 01-11-06, 03:36

When wired incorrectly the GFCI outlet still works (there will be current) but the safety feature and any outlets downstream will not. That's what he means by "test", see the above diagram (test, Reset buttons)