Electrical Problem - Need help
#1
02-21-05, 03:38 PM
Electrical Problem - Need help
hello all, i need some help.
i removed an outlet to install a GFI. there are two wires (2 black/2 white) and a ground. well both blacks are hot.... i thought one should be the line and the other the load. how do i wire up the GFI? just nut up the unused wire?? thanx
i removed an outlet to install a GFI. there are two wires (2 black/2 white) and a ground. well both blacks are hot.... i thought one should be the line and the other the load. how do i wire up the GFI? just nut up the unused wire?? thanx
#2
02-21-05, 03:46 PM
It is extremely unlikely that both black wires are hot wires. Only in a very strange (and incorrect) situation would this be the case.
How did you determine that both black wires were hot?
One other question. Is your intent to provide pass through protection to something else on this circuit? If so, what other device or receptacle did you want to provide pass through protection to?
If you did not want to provide pass through protection to something else, then it makes no difference which wires are line and which wires are load.
How did you determine that both black wires were hot?
One other question. Is your intent to provide pass through protection to something else on this circuit? If so, what other device or receptacle did you want to provide pass through protection to?
If you did not want to provide pass through protection to something else, then it makes no difference which wires are line and which wires are load.
#4
02-21-05, 04:08 PM
No, you cannot put a wire nut on one of the wires. If you do so you will eventually find that something else in your house doesn't work.
Both wires are not hot. Your testing method is wrong.
How are you testing for power?
What are you using? A light bulb tester? A tick tester? Do you have all four wires completely disconnected when you test? What is your method?
Both wires are not hot. Your testing method is wrong.
How are you testing for power?
What are you using? A light bulb tester? A tick tester? Do you have all four wires completely disconnected when you test? What is your method?
#5
02-21-05, 04:14 PM
the power is on. the four wires are sticking out of the electrical box spread apart from each other.
i am using a light bulb tester. a little test light.
i am getting "hot" for testing both blacks against the whites and both blacks against the ground wire.
i am using a light bulb tester. a little test light.
i am getting "hot" for testing both blacks against the whites and both blacks against the ground wire.
#6
02-21-05, 04:17 PM
Are both of these wires connected to the same circuit breaker? Did the old receptacle have the tab broken on the side with the gold screws? Either you have a duplex on two seperate circuits or someone ran a redundant wire.
Last edited by Garou; 02-21-05 at 04:19 PM. Reason: Typo
#7
02-21-05, 04:56 PM
Originally Posted by Garou
Are both of these wires connected to the same circuit breaker? Did the old receptacle have the tab broken on the side with the gold screws? Either you have a duplex on two seperate circuits or someone ran a redundant wire.
i couldn't tell anything by the outlet that i removed.
thanx
#8
02-21-05, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by henryr
i couldn't tell anything by the outlet that i removed.
If yes to both you cannot replace this receptacle with a GFI. You must use a two pole GFI breaker.
#10
02-21-05, 05:48 PM
Unless you are using a ton of appliances in your bathroom it would probably be alright to cap off a set of the wires and use the other for your GFI. The alternative is to change the breakers to GFI breakers and replace the receptacle you took out. Or replace the existing box with a 2-gang old work box, and install 2 GFI receptacles.
