GFCI receptacle lights and buttons

[y_p_w]

When did this become a a thing? For decades I remember there was basically nothing about GFCI receptacles other than mechanically seeing if the reset button was out slightly. I've recently installed a salvaged, working Eagle GFCI receptacle that has "TRIP" on the edge that's more visible when it has tripped. But it only pops out maybe 1 mm and part of "TRIP" is visible when it's working. I also remember when most (especially Leviton) had a black test button and a red reset button. My parents' house has several, although some have buttons that have a more pronounced curved edge. These days most have the buttons in the same color as the receptacle.

Most the new ones I've seen have a light - typically green when it's active and powering. The position can be different with different brands. Got some newer Leviton GFCI and that has a single light position that's green when it's on, red if there's a fault (I see it briefly when resetting), and off if it's tripped or there's no power.

The ones I got from Eaton seems to be different. There are two lights on the kind I got. One says "Replace" but I suppose that's not likely to just come up randomly. The other is one built into the side of the reset button. If it's tripped (which it is out of the box) but there's line power coming in, the light is red. If it's running properly, there's no light. And when it's tripped, the reset button doesn't pop out - only the red light comes on if it's powered. However, the light can't be relied on to determine if there's power coming in.

It's all pretty confusing. The weird thing about the Eaton receptacle is that it didn't even come with instructions. The package has a reference to their website for instructions.

 

[fantastic]

I've installed GFCI's around the house & Garage. I currently have a Leviton that is flashing it's EOL (End of Life) red light in the garage & need to change that one. I'll get a "Weather Rated" one this time. It's happened a few times randomly mostly on outside/garage outlets. Since GFCI's are becoming more of a standard safety electrical code requirement inside households I suppose they've evolved to better reflect their surroundings so no more bright red buttons for residential. Get Weather Rated ones for any of them subject to moisture or outside. Go with commercial duty even. Most of mine have been trouble free & I even have two inside a closet upstairs that I bought that has an audible alarm if something is wrong. I'm never inside that closet so that alarm would be helpful. Just a fresh reminder to kill the breaker before cutting the wire.

 

[y_p_w]

I've installed GFCI's around the house & Garage. I currently have a Leviton that is flashing it's EOL (End of Life) red light in the garage & need to change that one. I'll get a "Weather Rated" one this time. It's happened a few times randomly mostly on outside/garage outlets. Since GFCI's are becoming more of a standard safety electrical code requirement inside households I suppose they've evolved to better reflect their surroundings so no more bright red buttons for residential. Get Weather Rated ones for any of them subject to moisture or outside. Go with commercial duty even. Most of mine have been trouble free & I even have two inside a closet upstairs that I bought that has an audible alarm if something is wrong. I'm never inside that closet so that alarm would be helpful. Just a fresh reminder to kill the breaker before cutting the wire.

Ones with red and white buttons are still available. They're actually the cheapest ones I've seen at Home Depot.

Leviton 15 Amp Self-Test SmartLock Pro Duplex Tamper Resistant GFCI Outlet, White with Red Black Buttons (2 Pack) M6R-GFTR1-R2W - The Home Depot

Peace of mind, all the time. The SmartlockPro Self-Test GFCI tests itself even if you forget. Designed to meet the latest UL standard for auto-monitoring (self-test) our complete line of self-test GFCI's

www.homedepot.com

I kind of got burned by no name ones, although they were pretty cheap and came with wallplates. $72-76 for a dozen on Amazon, and weather resistant rated to boot. However, I've had a few issues. I don't trust their backwire mechanism because the pressure plate is thin and seems to bend, and I actually had one pull out when I rechecked my work a few days later. However, looping around the screw seems solid. The certification is ETL/Intertek and not UL. The tamper resistant outlets can be finicky on some, requiring jiggling to insert a plug. For a few the reset button is anywhere from harder to press or may require multiple attempts to reset after a test. Just kind of stops pushing in and I have to try it again until it does reset. Installed one in a rental (this whole GFCI journey started with a tenant request since the house is mostly ungrounded) and the tenant says there's one that seems to trip often, but it's only connected to a wall wart powering an LED desk lamp. I'm probably just going to replace it with a Leviton GFCI and see if it stops tripping, and move that receptacle elsewhere (maybe the garage) where it hopefully plays nice. The tenant doesn't really care about brand or cost as long as they work. I'm thinking of just sending an email to the seller to see what they might do. Other than the soft pressure plate, I think they work fine, but maybe their quality control isn't so great.

I did install one that was outside in a weather resistant enclosure. These were way cheaper than the weather resistant rated ones at the big box home improvement stores. The problem with that GFCI was that it was installed years ago before weather resistance was a recommendation for outdoor receptacles. Along with the cover being left open often. The outlet was working, but I pressed test and then it wouldn't reset. That was maybe a 30 year old Leviton GFCI without any indicator lights.

I haven't had any issues with any of the new Leviton or Eaton GFCI receptacles. They seem to have good design and quality control, even if they are made overseas. The new Levitons do require a bit of force to actuate the test and reset buttons though, but it’s consistent.

 

[fantastic]

Ones with red and white buttons are still available. They're actually the cheapest ones I've seen at Home Depot.

Leviton 15 Amp Self-Test SmartLock Pro Duplex Tamper Resistant GFCI Outlet, White with Red Black Buttons (2 Pack) M6R-GFTR1-R2W - The Home Depot

Peace of mind, all the time. The SmartlockPro Self-Test GFCI tests itself even if you forget. Designed to meet the latest UL standard for auto-monitoring (self-test) our complete line of self-test GFCI's

www.homedepot.com

I kind of got burned by no name ones, although they were pretty cheap and came with wallplates. $72-76 for a dozen on Amazon, and weather resistant rated to boot. However, I've had a few issues. I don't trust their backwire mechanism because the pressure plate is thin and seems to bend, and I actually had one pull out when I rechecked my work a few days later. However, looping around the screw seems solid. The certification is ETL/Intertek and not UL. The tamper resistant outlets can be finicky on some, requiring jiggling to insert a plug. For a few the reset button is anywhere from harder to press or may require multiple attempts to reset after a test. Just kind of stops pushing in and I have to try it again until it does reset. Installed one in a rental (this whole GFCI journey started with a tenant request since the house is mostly ungrounded) and the tenant says there's one that seems to trip often, but it's only connected to a wall wart powering an LED desk lamp. I'm probably just going to replace it with a Leviton GFCI and see if it stops tripping, and move that receptacle elsewhere (maybe the garage) where it hopefully plays nice. The tenant doesn't really care about brand or cost as long as they work. I'm thinking of just sending an email to the seller to see what they might do. Other than the soft pressure plate, I think they work fine, but maybe their quality control isn't so great.

I did install one that was outside in a weather resistant enclosure. These were way cheaper than the weather resistant rated ones at the big box home improvement stores. The problem with that GFCI was that it was installed years ago before weather resistance was a recommendation for outdoor receptacles. Along with the cover being left open often. The outlet was working, but I pressed test and then it wouldn't reset. That was maybe a 30 year old Leviton GFCI without any indicator lights.

I haven't had any issues with any of the new Leviton or Eaton GFCI receptacles. They seem to have good design and quality control, even if they are made overseas. The new Levitons do require a bit of force to actuate the test and reset buttons though, but it’s consistent.

You reminded me of GFCI's I've had a couple that would trip on a somewhat regular basis. I installed different brands & that didn't make any difference. Yes, I went back & checked all the wiring, I rewired my late 40's house that had just a hot/neutral wire w/no ground. What I had to do on some of those was to install a regular non GFCI outlet & instead bought an, expensive, GFCI breaker & have not had a lick of trouble since. Regular outlets on the outside of house w/GFCI breaker seems to be another solution for those stubborn tripping outlets.

Looping it around the screws seems to be the better option and some only allow 14 Guage to be backstabbed anyways. I used 12/2 throughout. I had those Home Depot ones in the garage for many years with no problem. Thought I'd upgrade them to fancier 20 Amp ones w/sideways plug notch & now seem to be paying for at least one replacement now. It should not be flashing End of Life as I just installed them a few years back. Yeah, not good to play around with the non UL rated outlets for certain. You got some lifespan out of that Leviton. There's a couple ancient ones in my 1994 Lance Truck Camper & they still test fine. Hit or miss it seems but like mentioned I installed GFCI's throughout & overall most of them have behaved since 2019 when I rewired. Good luck & keep at it.

 

[SHOZ]

It's usually very close lightening strikes that do mine in. They pop and won't reset.

 

[y_p_w]

You reminded me of GFCI's I've had a couple that would trip on a somewhat regular basis. I installed different brands & that didn't make any difference. Yes, I went back & checked all the wiring, I rewired my late 40's house that had just a hot/neutral wire w/no ground. What I had to do on some of those was to install a regular non GFCI outlet & instead bought an, expensive, GFCI breaker & have not had a lick of trouble since. Regular outlets on the outside of house w/GFCI breaker seems to be another solution for those stubborn tripping outlets.

Looping it around the screws seems to be the better option and some only allow 14 Guage to be backstabbed anyways. I used 12/2 throughout. I had those Home Depot ones in the garage for many years with no problem. Thought I'd upgrade them to fancier 20 Amp ones w/sideways plug notch & now seem to be paying for at least one replacement now. It should not be flashing End of Life as I just installed them a few years back. Yeah, not good to play around with the non UL rated outlets for certain. You got some lifespan out of that Leviton. There's a couple ancient ones in my 1994 Lance Truck Camper & they still test fine. Hit or miss it seems but like mentioned I installed GFCI's throughout & overall most of them have behaved since 2019 when I rewired. Good luck & keep at it.

Leviton has gone to international manufacturing for their GFCI receptacles since I remember. We had a bunch and I saw they're made in Malaysia, although I remember buying some that were assembled in Mexico. I can only find ones made in China now for pretty much every brand. Over the past month or so I've gotten these no-name (Amico) ones from Amazon, Leviton, Eaton, and even one "Armstrong" from Harbor Freight. All made in China. The one from Harbor Freight wasn't that bad. It had UL certification and the backwiring (which I didn't use) seemed better than the generic ones. It was physical bigger though. Not bad for $10 including a wallplate.

It does occur to me that maybe there's a problem like hot or neutral shorting to the side of the box, although I can't find anything that suggests it would cause a GFCI circuit to trip. There are really narrow metal boxes in this house, so perhaps the electrical tape I used isn't holding and they're shorting. At the time I could only find cheap generic electrical tape or 3M Tartan in my toolbox. I later found an older used roll of 3M Super 33+ and that really seems to hold much better. The cheapie electrical tape I'd prepped in advance, but a day later I found it had started loosening, which the Super 33+ doesn't do. The generic GFCI actually come with little plastic shields that clip on the sides, but with them attached I can't fit them into these really narrow boxes.

The newer Leviton ones seem to have a design that prevents the side terminals from touching the side of a box.

 

[nomas]

What is the actual question ?

 

[y_p_w]

What is the actual question ?

There was no question per se. I was just talking about the inconsistency on how all these lights and buttons are colored and what they indicate. I have one where all the lights are off if it's working and powered (but also when unpowered), while most have a green light when working and powered.

The other thing is the location of the line and load terminals. I've even seen them reversed and it took a while to diagnose. That was an older one though. Apparently newer versions have a lockout feature that prevents reset if they're wired incorrectly.

 

[SHOZ]

I've seen where cramming them in a tight box makes them trip.

 

[Kantaro]

Recently installed a Leviton GFTR1 GFCI receptacle and found it a little easier to install than the Eaton TRSGF15 receptacles that I used before. The Leviton's are 6mm shallower and seem to have better clamping plates on the side wiring. The Leviton also came with tape over the load terminals and included the appropriate stickers while the Eaton's didn't. Quite pleased for $20 with a wallplate.

 

[oil pan 4]

When did this become a a thing? For decades I remember there was basically nothing about GFCI receptacles other than mechanically seeing if the reset button was out slightly. I've recently installed a salvaged, working Eagle GFCI receptacle that has "TRIP" on the edge that's more visible when it has tripped. But it only pops out maybe 1 mm and part of "TRIP" is visible when it's working. I also remember when most (especially Leviton) had a black test button and a red reset button. My parents' house has several, although some have buttons that have a more pronounced curved edge. These days most have the buttons in the same color as the receptacle.

Most the new ones I've seen have a light - typically green when it's active and powering. The position can be different with different brands. Got some newer Leviton GFCI and that has a single light position that's green when it's on, red if there's a fault (I see it briefly when resetting), and off if it's tripped or there's no power.

The ones I got from Eaton seems to be different. There are two lights on the kind I got. One says "Replace" but I suppose that's not likely to just come up randomly. The other is one built into the side of the reset button. If it's tripped (which it is out of the box) but there's line power coming in, the light is red. If it's running properly, there's no light. And when it's tripped, the reset button doesn't pop out - only the red light comes on if it's powered. However, the light can't be relied on to determine if there's power coming in.

It's all pretty confusing. The weird thing about the Eaton receptacle is that it didn't even come with instructions. The package has a reference to their website for instructions.

The lights don't mean anything. On some no lights on is set and ready. Others green is tripped, some red is tripped, others red is set and ready. Everyone who makes GFI's just does whatever they want.

 

[andrew_j]

The red and black buttons are hideous in normal locations. I am an engineer and would have preferred the buttons same color as outlet on kitchen outlets ….

 

[fantastic]

The lights don't mean anything. On some no lights on is set and ready. Others green is tripped, some red is tripped, others red is set and ready. Everyone who makes GFI's just does whatever they want.

You just laid out that they do indicate something. Just that color indicates something with that individual companies gfci and should not be compared to other brand gfci's.

 

[Kantaro]

I kind of got burned by no name ones, although they were pretty cheap and came with wallplates. $72-76 for a dozen on Amazon, and weather resistant rated to boot. However, I've had a few issues. I don't trust their backwire mechanism because the pressure plate is thin and seems to bend, and I actually had one pull out when I rechecked my work a few days later. However, looping around the screw seems solid. The certification is ETL/Intertek and not UL. The tamper resistant outlets can be finicky on some, requiring jiggling to insert a plug. For a few the reset button is anywhere from harder to press or may require multiple attempts to reset after a test. Just kind of stops pushing in and I have to try it again until it does reset.

Thanks for sharing. The Amazon ones were always tempting due to their price, but I assumed they were too good to be. I guess the ETL certification isn't a measure of quality - just that it meets some safety standard.

 

[facility1]

Hubble is what we used at hospital i worked at,worth a look,decent quality,dont try to save a few dollars on outlets or switch's.

 

[y_p_w]

Thanks for sharing. The Amazon ones were always tempting due to their price, but I assumed they were too good to be. I guess the ETL certification isn't a measure of quality - just that it meets some safety standard.

The ones I got from Amazon are mostly OK. But I'm thinking the quality control may not be the best. I'd say out of two dozen, maybe three of the them had issues with a tamper resistant outlet or with the reset mechanism. And then the quality of the backwiring pressure plate.

The ones from Leviton or Eaton were flawless. It may not be because they're better made (other than the wiring), but because they'll toss anything that is less than perfectly functioning.

 

[y_p_w]

Hubble is what we used at hospital i worked at,worth a look,decent quality,dont try to save a few dollars on outlets or switch's.

Hubbell GFCI receptacles cost a small fortune, and I've heard they aren't really that good.

I think at hospitals they're more likely to use non-GFCI outlets and then use GFCI circuit breakers.

 

[facility1]

Hubbell GFCI receptacles cost a small fortune, and I've heard they aren't really that good.

I think at hospitals they're more likely to use non-GFCI outlets and then use GFCI circuit breakers.

we had many GFI all over the place,yet very few problems,and yes they are a bit pricy ,,but good product.

 

[y_p_w]

we had many GFI all over the place,yet very few problems,and yes they are a bit pricy ,,but good product.

Certainly Hubbell came up with the modern North American two-prong bladed receptacle. However, I've heard that their GFCI receptacles are made by a subcontractor in China and aren't necessarily better than Leviton or Eaton.

Of course their 240V outlets are well known for being the more durable.

 

[facility1]

we also used Legrand products as well,along with Hubble and some Leviton but mostly Hubble hospital grade.