gfci help

i tried to replace the gfci outlet in our bathroom and did everything exactly as i have been told and as stated in the directions. however i still do not have function. the light switch in the same box works, all other outlets on the same breaker work. what else could it be? what am i missing?

 

How did you connect the wires to the GFCI? Please be specific.

 

What exactly does "I still do not have function" mean? If something doesn't work, then please tell us what doesn't work.

 

Did this receptacle ever work or are you trying to add a receptacle? This could be a switch loop and it is not possible to add a receptacle here.

 

ok, this is an existing outlet. their is one white and one black wire, plus the ground wire. i plug my circuit analyzer into the outlet and get no reading what so ever. i switched the circuit breaker off, replaced the gfci with a brand new one, following the directions to the letter. i flipped the circuit breaker back on and tried the circuit analyzer again......no reading what so ever. this is a pre-existing outlet, the light switch in the same box works just fine. i can't figure out what could be happening.

 

Did you reset the GFCI outlet?

 

Take the GFCI out and test the wires themselves. You can't make it work no matter how you wire it if the wires themselves are dead. Maybe there's another upstream GFCI that has tripped, or maybe you have any of dozens of other problems.

If you have a receptacle that doesn't work, replacing the receptacle is rarely the solution.

 

How did you connect the wires to the GFCI outlet? Please be specific, to which terminals did you connect the wires, and how specifically did you connect the wires? The GFCI outlet won't work if the wires are connected to the wrong terminals.

 

as it states on the directions, the white wire was connected into the silver terminal. the black wire was connected into the brass terminal. the ground was connected to the green terminal on the bottom of the gfci. this is the way it was installed before i bought the new gfci. i changed the wiring to see if it would make any difference before i went out and bought a new one, but nothing seemed to work. now what?

 

On a GFCI receptacle there is a line side and a load side. Which side did you connect the wires to?

Also, do the wires themselves have power (John's question)?

 

i am not sure how to test the wires themselves. everything that i have read tells me not to leave wires exposed when the circuit is on. i have the wires fed into the line terminal, as stated in the directions that the gfci came with, and as they were wired originally.

 

Yes, you should not leave wires exposed in general. However, it is often necessary to perform testing on the wires themselves. Use a two wire tester and touch it to the wires. Try all combinations. Hot and return, hot and ground, and return and ground.

Also, is this light switch that does have power on the same circuit as the GFCI? Have you tried a regular duplex receptacle outlet in place of the GFCI outlet?

 

What test instruments do you have? Do you have a voltmeter? Or maybe a simple neon circuit tester with the two probes? If neither, go out and buy one or the other.

Remove the receptacle. Pull the wires out of the box and separate them. Chase the kids and dog out of the room and turn the breaker back on. Carefully touch the probes to the black and white wire and see if you have voltage there. If not, touch the probes to the black and bare wires to see if you have voltage there. Turn the breaker back off and report back.

You said that there is a switch in the same box as the receptacle. Are the wires to the receptacle somehow connected to the wires to the switch? If so, how?

 

ok, all i have is a circuit analyzer, which is basically a three pronged plug, with a series a lights that iluminate and tell me what is going on with the circuit/wiring. however, when i plug the analyzer into the outlet that i have wired nothing happens. not sure how to test the wires themselves? and the other option i had was to plug in the old old outlet which was pre-gfci. thanks for the advice, i will get back to you.

 

Bob and I both tried to tell you how to do this. I guess we did not succeed. Perhaps you can find an electrically knowledgeable friend to help.

 

It sounds like the hot line is dead. I hope there are more wires then just the black ,white and ground in the box since you also said there was a switch. Did you check in the garage, other bathrooms, outside receptacles for a tripped GFCI? It could be this one is not necessary and the circuit is already GFCI protected.