Everything is all buttoned up for now, so I can't check at the moment. It's too hot and mosquito-y to do anything else out there today. I may take another look tomorrow.Are they essentially 0 volts measured one lead to each on volt meter set at 50 volts AC or so
That's something that will be checked when my helper stops by tomorrow or Monday.I’ve seen this before and it was a loose white neutral wire at the breaker box. It was not tightened down properly on the neutral bus.
CoolEverything is all buttoned up for now, so I can't check at the moment. It's too hot and mosquito-y to do anything else out there today. I may take another look tomorrow.
It came out of the box tripped (like I had pressed "test").
That's not inherently bad, and quite common when folks extend circuits on older homes. The key is that outside outlets absolutely need GFCI and you're covered there. It would make more sense to install the GFCI outlet on the upstream outlet (nearest the panel) and let it feed the subsequent outlets from there so that all are protected. But this is not always possible due to accessibility, box size, etc.1. The outside GFCI outlet was wired off of an inside non-GFCI outlet. Is "wired in series" the correct term? Also I have no idea if it being wired this way is good/bad/indifferent.
2. Somewhere in the wiring between the inside and outside outlets, there was a loose connection, I believe in the neutral wire.
3. Guy doing the fix used the new GFCI outlet that he brought with him, which was a 1/1 replacement for the original, so I can't say with certainty if either of the outlets I purchased are good/bad. I saved them for future testing.
It would make more sense to install the GFCI outlet on the upstream outlet (nearest the panel) and let it feed the subsequent outlets from there so that all are protected. But this is not always possible due to accessibility, box size, etc.
Current electrical code (which some states have adopted, but all will follow eventually) requires TR (tamper resistant) outlets in most locations requiring GFCI.In my experience...GFCI outlets installed indoors last longer than ones installed outdoors.
Now that there are "WR" (weather resistant) GFCIs which have potted circuit boards, stainless steel screws, and other design improvements designed to make them "WR", perhaps they will last as long as the ones installed indoors....
...but only if a "WR" rated GFCI is what is actually installed outdoors. They cost more and most people probably have no idea about the difference.
Swap the outlet breaker that powers that outlet with a. GFCI breaker if that one trips then you have ground fault in your wiring with a chance of sparking an a house fire. If you are home and suddenly smell fish when there should be no fish smell then investigate ASAP. You are experiencing in-wall arcing and a smoldering fire.I'm going to wait to try any more troubleshooting until I have a trained electrician family member to help me this weekend. I'll post an update once we figure out the issue.
Current electrical code (which some states have adopted, but all will follow eventually) requires TR (tamper resistant) outlets in most locations requiring GFCI.
WR GFCI receptacles have been required for quite some time now in outdoor locations; certainly not a new thing.
When I wired my workshop this year, I found that dual rated TR/WR GFCI's were less expensive in contractor packs than the only-TR or WR rated outlets. I despise TR outlets as it requires more effort to insert a plug, but they aren't terribly cumbersome IMO. And I saved a few bucks by going with the dual TR/WR rated pack.
Yeap the first thing I did when I moved into my new home is replace the cheap builders TR outlets with hoapital grade leviathan 8300's.I replaced 20 trash TR outlets just yesterday. I just cut and strip, it is faster than getting the wires to release on cheapie 14 G 15A outlets. Had the wife helping make sure the circuit was correct and dead. If she wasn’t home I would have just killed main!
A good 3 were dead and 5 or so were borderline
I just cut and strip, it is faster than getting the wires to release on cheapie 14 G 15A outlets
Wanted to agree with the quality of Leviton.. When I re-did the parents house before selling it, replaced ALL the outlets.. Around 18-20..They were from the late 60s! The ones in there were Leviton! I couldn't believe it, some were starting to fall apart, others still ok. But for the newer generation buying the house they don't have the skill set to know how to do something like that on their own. And the old ones were black! New ones all white. Makes that generation feel better even though quality to me is more important than color.TR outlets are required pretty much everywhere in residential construction here, not just places requiring a GFCI.
Most places I see outdoor GFCIs are installations that predate the WR requirement. Probably 75% of those GFCIs are failed or dead.
I've never noticed any great savings with contractor packs. I've been replacing the circa 2017 Legrand GFCIs the builder installed with Leviton GFCIs because the Legrand GFCIs have a serious problem with nuisance tripping, to include tripping on circuits even with nothing plugged in. The problem may be related to nearby lightning strikes. Unknown if current production Legrand GFCIs have the same problem. The Levitons are working fine (and stocked at Home Depot which is the closest store), so I'll continue to buy them.
Wanted to agree with the quality of Leviton.. When I re-did the parents house before selling it, replaced ALL the outlets.. Around 18-20..They were from the late 60s! The ones in there were Leviton!
That doesn't explain why the GFCI outlet isn't working. it should still pass current even if the upstream stuff is messed up.Doesn't even need to be a dirty contact. I've had it happen at least 3 times so far when I pull an outlet out of the box (because it isn't working) and one of the backstabbed wires pulls right out of the back.
That's why I only use the screw terminals.