How to Install a 2 Pole GFCI Breaker

Many modern homes are being installed with Ground Fault Current Interrupting Outlets or GFCI breaker outlets. However if you have an older home or are considering doing any work on the wiring in your bathroom or kitchen, then you will need to find out how to wire them.

GFCI outlets work by comparing the amount of current entering the outlet with the amount leaving it. The idea is that these should be equal, if there is any difference between this then it suggests that the current is leaving the circuit somewhere else. This could be potentially dangerous as it will either be caused by a short circuit or leaving by passing through somebody's body.

GFCI outlet should be installed in all locations which are wet or damp; this includes inside crawl spaces, in basements, bathrooms and kitchens. They should also be used whenever connecting certain types of appliances which could be damaged. Wiring and installing a 2-pole Ground Fault current Interrupting outlet isn't actually very difficult, it's virtually identical to wiring a standard 115V outlet.

Step 1 - Safety

Whenever you are working with electrical circuits in your home it is essential that you shut off the power. This can be done by removing the circuit breaker or by shutting off the entire power to your home. You should never try to work on a live electrical circuit because it could be potentially fatal.

Step 2 - Cutting a Channel

If you are installing a new outlet rather than replacing another one then you will need to chisel a channel through your wall. This channel will allow you to install the wires safely and to hide them in your wall. Once you have worked out the size of the channel you will then be able to work out the length of cable required to connect the outlet up to your electrical breaker panel or other electrical circuits.

A box should be cut out in the wall which is large enough for the outlet to be fixed into. Secure the metal outlet box into the wall by screwing it in or by using the drywall clamps which are included in the pack.

Step 3 - Wiring the Outlet

Remove some of the insulation from the wire by using either wire strippers or a knife. This cable will have two layers of insulation, just remove the first layer so that you will see the three individual insulated wires inside. Sometimes only two of these wires will be insulated with the third being bare. The white wire is neutral, the black wire is the live or hot wire, and the bare or green one is the earth wire.

Step 4 - Stripping the Wire

The individual wires now need to be stripped. This will be easier using wire strippers and you should be removing around one inch of insulation from both of the wires.

Once the wire is bare bend it around on itself using the pliers to create a C shape. This will make it much easier to secure the electrical wires into the GFCI outlet terminals.

Step 5 - Wiring the GFCI

On the back of the GFCI you should see three screws, there should be a green screw, silver screw and brass screw. These are the terminals which is where the wires can be inserted and held in place.

The green screw terminal is for the bare earth grounding wire, bend this around the terminal and tighten the green screw.

The white neutral wire now needs to be put into the silver screw and the black into the brass screw. These should then be tightened in the same way. In some outlets there will be a hole to push the wire into, in others you will simply have to bend the wire around the screw and tighten it up.

Make sure that all of the terminals are neat and that nothing is shorting the connections out.

Step 6 - Fixing the Outlet

The outlet now needs to be fixed onto the electrical box by bending the wire and pressing the outlet into the box. Tighten the screw to hold everything firmly in place.