Outside GFI tripping, disabling upstairs bathroom outlet


  #1  
Old 06-16-15, 09:40 AM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 12
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
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  
Old 06-16-15, 09:47 AM
S
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: WI/MN
Posts: 19,075
Received 1,248 Upvotes on 1,192 Posts
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?
 
  #3  
Old 06-16-15, 09:54 AM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 12
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
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  
Old 06-16-15, 10:24 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
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  
Old 06-16-15, 10:28 AM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 12
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
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  
Old 06-16-15, 12:00 PM
pcboss's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 13,935
Received 181 Upvotes on 159 Posts
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  
Old 06-16-15, 05:14 PM
F
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
Posts: 16,321
Received 38 Upvotes on 30 Posts
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.
 
  #8  
Old 06-16-15, 08:06 PM
CasualJoe's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 9,841
Received 178 Upvotes on 161 Posts
Yep, I'd do what PCboss and Furd said.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: