Home wiring & GFCI


  #1  
Old 03-13-05, 03:06 AM
lewashi
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Home wiring & GFCI

Hey! I've been reading through some of the posts and thought I would see what the thoughts are on my current challenge. I'll try to keep this at a minimum. I have a manufactured home built in 80 with two panels (WA state). I decided to replaced the wallboard and add in CAT5e and cable. On the west side of the home I added a flood light to the end of the circuit and wired it on the load side of the GFCI (15A) outlet (replaced the old outlet). Everything works, no issues. The east side of the house has been an entirely different story. I added a flood lamp on the east side of the home behind a GFCI and it worked. Then I figured I would add 2 other outlets and replaced the light switches so I could actually wire in some lights for the the living room (2 sconces @ 60W each). I think I messed up here though initially. With two holes on the line side of the GFCI I continued a line feed of the GFCI to the additional outlet since my plan was to ensure power to the outlet in case the GFCI wired to the flood light tripped. The other outlet is for the exterior of the home (waterproof case) and I wired that the same. It tripped immediately and after doing some checking I concluded I can't do that. I rewired the outlets with only one line & then the load(s). The GFCI kept tripping so I started doing some checking and this is where I have concerns. At the sub panel I have about 119V on four circuit breakers (2 15A & 2 30A). Then I switched off the breakers and starting checking continuity. Somehow I have continuity between all 3 wires (yes, all 3 no matter the combination) on 3 of the 4 circuits but the breakers are not tripping. At the light switch, originally, they essentially wired it as a junction box since the power supplies not only the switches/outlets for the room but is run into the ceilling for all the lights on the east side of the home (5 'rooms') and the outlets for the bedroom & bathroom. From reading some of the other posts it sounds that with current standards this would not be acceptable but I cannot afford to replace the sub panel and the entire run(s) currently as the wiring is in the wall. I can address it room by room over time though. Thus far I just installed a junction box where the suppy side was run under the door frame in hopes that I can just do this room by room. Thoughts? Concerns? Suggestions? Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 03-13-05, 03:53 AM
lewashi
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Hmmm...reading through some of the other posts and noted that wiring off the line side of the GFCI should not be an issue...thus in essence splitting the feed? Can a GFCI be wired for both the line & load side or would it be one or the other? Oh! My first attempt to post didn't work so I think I forgot to mention that I installed 12-2 from the junction box I mentioned under the door frame into the living room. I initially attempted to reuse the wiring in the wall but with the issues I've noted I have replaced all the wiring with 12-2. Also, I saw something about grounding to a metal box. The junction box I used didn't have a ground screw so I didn't even realize this may be an issue since the house is wired with a ground. Should I add a pigtail to the juction box (or maybe it's do I need to?). I'll attempt a wiring diagram based on one of the other posts:

GFCI4 (interior) (LD)
|
GFCI3 (interior) -- Flood Light (LD)
|
GFCI2 (exterior) (LD)
|
GFCI1 (interior)
|
J1--J2
|
J3--existing run to lights & other roomd
|
SWITCH BOX
| | |
| | Sconce1--Sconce2
| |
| Outside Light (100W rated - has 47W bulb)
|
GFCI5 (exterior) (has 'bug zapper' plugged into it - 40W bulb)

I also have a junction box where the flood light off GFCI3, the GFCI5 outlet, and the sconce light are wired independently. This was just my attempt at 'fixing' my error of "late in the day" wire length calculation instead of rerunning all the wiring again and having to dismount the flood lights.

J1 is the junction box I installed under the floor/door frame where the old wiring meets the new wiring.
 
  #3  
Old 03-13-05, 03:58 AM
lewashi
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got to love computers....another attempt at the wiring diagram:

....GFCI4 (interior) (LD)
......|
....GFCI3 (interior) --> Flood Light (LD)
......|
....GFCI2 (exterior) (LD)
......|
....GFCI1 (interior)
......|
J1--J2
......|
.....J3 --> existing run to lights & other roomd
......|
....SWITCH BOX
......|.....|.....|
......|.....|....Sconce1--Sconce2
......|.....|
......|....Outside Light (100W rated - has 47W bulb)
......|
....GFCI5 (exterior) (has 'bug zapper' plugged into it - 40W bulb)
 

Last edited by John Nelson; 03-13-05 at 10:15 AM. Reason: formatting
  #4  
Old 03-13-05, 10:10 AM
lewashi
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Arrow Any ideas/siggestions?


I've been pondering this and I'm thinking the proper thing to do would be to have a new sub panel installed and wire it appropriately. Definitely not excited about it but I think I figured out how I can make it work if I have to proceed along that line of action. Any help/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
  #5  
Old 03-14-05, 02:00 AM
G
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" The other outlet is for the exterior of the home (waterproof case) and I wired that the same. It tripped immediately and after doing some checking I concluded I can't do that.
I rewired the outlets with only one line & then the load(s). The GFCI kept tripping so I started doing some checking and this is where I have concerns.
At the sub panel I have about 119V on four circuit breakers (2 15A & 2 30A). Then I switched off the breakers and starting checking continuity. Somehow I have continuity between all 3 wires (yes, all 3 no matter the combination) on 3 of the 4 circuits but the breakers are not tripping."
***************************************

You need to unplug all appliances and turn off all lights, Before you can check Continuity
Your appliances will give you a false indication of Continuity.
They end up completing the circuit from hot to neutral to neutral back to another hot wire.

1 breaker-----------hot-----------!

.......................................Light bulb #1

!------------------white-----------!
!
!
!------------------white--------------!

.........................................Light bulb # 2

# 2 breaker---------hot-------------!


*************************************
On the load side of GFI's people make the error of
not keeping the neutral wire separate from other neutral wires coming from other circuits.
*******************************
" Can a GFCI be wired for both the line & load side "
Yes. the power feeds the line side. the load goes to protect other plugs
 
 

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