Hi there,

I have a GFCI circuit in my kitchen. It has the GFCI outlet as the first outlet in the circuit, followed by 2 outlets, then a switch that controls the garbage disposal outlet, then 2 additional outlets.

All outlets from the GFCI up to and including the disposal work fine. When I plug any load into either of the last 2 outlets, the GFCI trips.

I have successfully tested continuity for the ground between all outlets. Also all outlets successfully test from "hot" (black) to ground at 120V. No outlets appear to have loose wires or crossed hot/neutral.

Any ideas as to why the GFCI is being tripped or additional tests I can run?

Thank you in advance,
Ryan

 

The garbage disposal should not by code be on a SABC and while that may not be the problem I wonder how they connected it. Check all the connections where the GD is tied in. If you don't find anything disconnect it and test the two problem receptacles. Note the GD should be on the line side but I'm guessing it is on the load side, is it?

 

Good idea, Ray. However, just tried with GD unplugged and same result. Yes, the GD is on the load side.

Ryan

 

Did you wire up this circuit yourself or did it come this way when you bought the house?

Did the last two receptacles ever work?

Is the circuit a multiwire branch circuit (one feed cable, red and black hot wires, one white neutral, double breaker in panel? If you continue a subcircuit from the load terminals of the GFCI unit, that subcircuit must have its own hot and neutral in a separate 2 conductor cable. It would be separate from the neutral continuing with the red wire from the original feed cable up from the panel.

You may not use a hot wire connected to a load side terminal of a GFCI together with a neutral tied or teed to the line side terminal of the GFCI, or vice versa.

Also be sure that the bare ground wire is not touching other wires or terminals.

 

Does the appliance trip any other gfis in the house?

 

Unplugging the GD insured that it wouldn't run. It didn't remove the GD wiring from the GFCI protected circuit.

To do that, turn the power to the circuit off. Remove the switch for the GD. Take the splices in the switch box apart. Splice the wires in the incoming and outgoing cables together color-to-color. Turn the power back on and verify that the last two receptacles are now working as they should. Use a plug-in GFCI tester to make sure that they are GFCI protected.

If they aren't working as they should, post back with the results and we can advise you from there.

If all the countertop receptacles are now working properly, you need to run a new circuit from a new breaker in your main distribution panel to feed the GD. In fact, that needs to be done anyway, so you can be planning for that while you're doing the testing.

 

Allan,

I had an electrician in the house to check an unrelated problem and had him replace an existing, non-GFCI outlet with the GFCI unit. It was noted on an inspection and was needed.

The circuit does not appear to be a multiwire branch -- it appears to have a single black "hot". This could be the problem.

Ryan

 

Ryan, have you eliminated the switch for the GD yet?

 

If it is only a single black and white pair that means it is the end of the circuit.

 

Nashcat,

No, I have not yet had a chance to eliminate the switch from the circuit. Maybe later this evening.

pcboss - The GD is not the end of the circuit.

Ryan