How to Wire a Ground Fault Receptacle

A ground fault receptacle is a very safe electrical device which is a type of built in circuit breaker in an outlet. This circuit breaker will automatically trip whenever anything overloads the circuit. Wiring a ground fault receptacle is actually very easy. Ensuring that these GFCI receptacles are fitted correctly will make them even safer.

Spend time looking at wiring diagrams and finding out exactly how these can be fitted to provide your home with the best level of protection possible.

Step 1 - Turning off the Power

First thing you must do is switch off the power. Either switch off the circuit breaker to the circuit or you can switch the power off to the whole house if you're not sure which circuit breaker controls the circuit. Make sure that everyone in your house knows that you've switched the circuit breaker off. This will ensure that the power doesn't get switched on while you're working on the circuit.

Step 2 - Checking the Power Is off

Check that the power is off by trying to plug a lamp or other appliance into the outlet. A multi-meter can also be used to check that the circuit is dead and safe to work on.

Step 3 - Removing the Old Receptacle

Unscrew the faceplate from the wall and set it aside. Unscrew the receptacle from the wall and pull it as far away from the wall as possible. When you have access to the terminals behind the socket, loosen the wires and disconnect them all.

Step 4 - Cutting and Stripping Wire

Cut the bare wire off the cables and then strip a new fresh piece of wire. You need to strip around 3/4-inch of insulation from the wires. It's best to work on a new piece of wire as you will find this easier to fix the wire into the terminals. If you don't have enough wire to spare then you can straighten the wire with your fingers.

Step 5 - Wiring the Ground Fault Receptacle

Taking a look at the ground fault receptacle, you should notice four different terminals which are connected to different wires. Two of the terminals are connect to the black and red wires. The top one is normally connected to the ground wire and the bottom to the neutral wire.

Step 6 - Fixing the Box

The ground fault receptacle now needs to be fixed into the wall box and secured in place using the supplied screws. After this it's time to replace the faceplate and screw it into the box. You may need a different faceplate to fit the shape of the receptacle and its test and reset buttons.

Step 7 - Testing

Turn the power back on and use an electrical tester to ensure that you're receiving power to the socket. Pressing the test button should trip the circuit, and reset should get it working again. If there's anything wrong with the GFCI receptacle then you will need to do some detective work, it could be a faulty receptacle or it could be due to poor wiring.