Outside GFI tripping, disabling upstairs bathroom outlet
#1
06-16-15, 09:40 AM
Outside GFI tripping, disabling upstairs bathroom outlet
My girlfriend lives in a townhouse built in 1984. One or twice a week, she will go to use her hairdryer in the upstairs bathroom, and the outlet doesn't work. So she (or usually I) has to go outside on the back patio and reset the outdoor GFI, which has nothing plugged into it. Is there a way to fix this or keep it from happening? Thanks in advance.
#2
06-16-15, 09:47 AM
Group Moderator
So is the hair dryer causing the trip or has it already happened and attempting to run the hair dryer is how she finds out?
What else is on this circuit?
What else is on this circuit?
#3
06-16-15, 09:54 AM
I'm not sure what else is on it... I'll check when I get home later this evening. However, nothing seems to be tripping it (that I notice). She just finds out it's been tripped when she attempts to use the hair dryer -- it doesn't happen while she's using it.
#4
06-16-15, 10:24 AM
Sounds like moisture from rain or sprinklers in the outside receptacle. Look inside for moisture. Check the cover seal. Does it have the correct cover? If it is well sealed and dry replace the GFCI.
#5
06-16-15, 10:28 AM
I'm in Florida, and the humidity is quite abundant. It's usually in the morning when moisture is most prevalent. I will just replace the GFCI and cover just to cover all bases. Hoping it's nothing more than that. Thanks!
#6
06-16-15, 12:00 PM
Forum Topic Moderator
You may want to look at moving the wiring to the bathroom to the line terminals and again installing gfi protection in the bathroom.
#7
06-16-15, 05:14 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
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I would do as PC suggests; in fact I already did. My two bathrooms had regular receptacles installed, wired from a GFCI in the garage. I re-wired the circuit from the garage GFCI to the line side terminals, installed a GFCI receptacle in the front bathroom with the wires to the back bathroom also connected to the line terminals and finally installed a GFCI receptacle in the back bathroom. Now all locations have their own GFCI receptacle and none of them are controlled by any other GFCI device albeit they are still one one single circuit.
