GFI Question

[Orion]

The electrical outlet that I am planning on utilizing for my new build is near a sliding glass door. Since it's close to this door the outlet is wired into the household GFI circuit. Will this outlet act like a GFCI outlet if it senses an imbalance?

This is a normal outlet, not a specific GFCI outlet with a reset button, etc.

[Scott_LM]

It is possible that your outlet is wired to the load side of the other GFI, but the only way to tell is to check it.  You can simply plug sometihng into the outlet in question and test the GFI.  If whatever you plugged in turns off then in all likely hood that outlet is protected by the GFI.  Either that or just really bad timing .

 

If a GFI outlet is part of a circuit it is possible to wire it so that all outlets down the line are protected or not.  Only way to tell is to test it. 

[Orion]

It's definitely on the circuit labeled "GFI Circuit" because that outlet is dead if I turn off that breaker.

So I guess what I am asking is - Is this sufficient even though it's a normal outlet?

[Origami]

It's definitely on the circuit labeled "GFI Circuit" because that outlet is dead if I turn off that breaker.

So I guess what I am asking is - Is this sufficient even though it's a normal outlet?

I think that he's saying to check if the outlet is still live ID you leave the circuit breaker (in the panel) on but push the Test button on the GFCI to trigger it. If I the second outlet goes out, it's on the protected side of the GFCI. If not, it's wired as a pass-through outlet without GFCI protection.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[paul b]

Origami is correct, and I hate saying that.

Edited October 30, 2013 by paul b

[Coral Hind]

Is the breaker an actual GFI breaker with a "test" button? If you are going by what's written on the panel schedule it might not be correct if the breaker was swapped out and it doesn't have s "test" button.

 

Another situation is that the breaker is not a GFI with a "test" but it feeds a GFCI outlet, maybe one just outside the door which then feeds back into the house. If you use the "test" on the one outside does that kill the power to the one inside? 

[AlanM]

Is it a GFCI breaker in the panel for the entire circuit or is it a plug somewhere with a set of Test and Reset buttons? Kind of sounds like it is in the panel.

[Orion]

There is only one outlet on that GFCI circuit that is an actual GFCI outlet (it has the test/reset buttons), and that's in one of the bathrooms.

 

There are a total of seven outlets on the circuit labeled "GFCI circuit" in this house. 3 are located outside the home, and 4 inside. If I press the test button on the GFCI outlet in the bathroom, all seven outlets on that circuit go dead. Once the outlet is reset, power is restored to those outlets

[AlanM]

Right, so they are all on the load side of that bathroom outlet and all protected by that one. For five bucks at HD you can get a plug in tester with a button on it to put in any of the load side outlets to make sure they will trip it as well, but they should.

[Coral Hind]

You are safe then if you want GFCI protection on the outlet for your tank. Is it possible to run a new isolated circuit to the tank area? My concerns are that there are several other outlets that could be over loaded and trip out the tank. Hopefully you don't have a house full of girls and hair dryers in that bathroom. Another concern is that some tank equipment like certain lighting can cause nuisance tripping of GFCI's.

[Orion]

You are safe then if you want GFCI protection on the outlet for your tank. Is it possible to run a new isolated circuit to the tank area? My concerns are that there are several other outlets that could be over loaded and trip out the tank. Hopefully you don't have a house full of girls and hair dryers in that bathroom. Another concern is that some tank equipment like certain lighting can cause nuisance tripping of GFCI's.

 

Interesting.  I don't have a house full of girls, but I am glad I am asking these questions now before I plop a tank there.  I have had issues in the past with the GFCI circuit tripping when running the vacuum, a hair dryer, and something else on that circuit simultaneously.  It would be very annoying if it were to trip every time my wife were to use the hair dryer.  Heck, I use an electric leaf blower outside all the time in the fall, and run an electric lawn mower in the summer.  Those outlets are on the same GFCI circuit as the tank would be on.

Not sure if I can run a new circuit to the tank area. I might have to re-think where I am putting the tank, or how I am going to run electrical.

My current display tank runs a max of 2-2.3 amps according to the APEX, but I am going to run a couple more items on the 57 gallon which will increase the load a little, but not by much.

[Shoelace]

Seven outlets on one line seems like a lot.  Will there be anything else heavy duty on any of those outlets other than your tank?

 

If you want to have some redundancy in your system, you can always hook up another GFCI to the specific outlet that will be used for you tank.  I can wire that for you.

[Shoelace]

Is your current tank running on another circuit?  You could run a cord neatly along that wall, behind the sofa and over to the tank.  Maria won't notice, I promise.

[Orion]

Seven outlets on one line seems like a lot. Will there be anything else heavy duty on any of those outlets other than your tank?

 

If you want to have some redundancy in your system, you can always hook up another GFCI to the specific outlet that will be used for you tank. I can wire that for you.

7 outlets on a GFI circuit is the max according to code. Have to think like a cheap home builder. These homes were in high demand at the time, and were built quickly.

 

The next closest outlet not on that circuit is approx 16ft away along the wall.

 

The tank would go here

 

Electrical would run from right to left along this wall behind the couch.

 

And the outlet I would use is below the picture on the bottom right behind the couch

 

Overview of the room

[Coral Hind]

If the neutral is there, come off of the light switch circuit and drop down to a new outlet.

[Djplus1]

Interesting.  I don't have a house full of girls, but I am glad I am asking these questions now before I plop a tank there.  I have had issues in the past with the GFCI circuit tripping when running the vacuum, a hair dryer, and something else on that circuit simultaneously.  It would be very annoying if it were to trip every time my wife were to use the hair dryer.  Heck, I use an electric leaf blower outside all the time in the fall, and run an electric lawn mower in the summer.  Those outlets are on the same GFCI circuit as the tank would be on.

Not sure if I can run a new circuit to the tank area. I might have to re-think where I am putting the tank, or how I am going to run electrical.

My current display tank runs a max of 2-2.3 amps according to the APEX, but I am going to run a couple more items on the 57 gallon which will increase the load a little, but not by much.

Funny, I just ran into this issue as well, not thinking about it until I noticed my frag tank completely off for who knows how long. My tank is also situated next to a sliding door, which apparently puts that outlet on the GFCI breaker . 

 

My wife used to trip the breaker all the time when blowdrying, and then out of nowhere it stopped. So knowing my luck it will start tripping every morning again and I will be screwed.

[John Ford]

and then out of nowhere it stopped...

 

Not saying it has, but it's possible the integrity of that breaker has been impaired due to nuisance tripping. They are only made to handle but so many faults or over heats and they'll stop doing what they are there to do.

[Djplus1]

and then out of nowhere it stopped...

 

Not saying it has, but it's possible the integrity of that breaker has been impaired due to nuisance tripping. They are only made to handle but so many faults or over heats and they'll stop doing what they are there to do.

It still trips when i use it to do water changes on my big tank when i drip water on the Tripplite, so I don't think that's the problem. It just doesn't trip every time my wife dries her hair. I've considered pulling that breaker and going with a regular one and just replacing the couple outlets that aren't dedicated GFCI's anyway.

[Coral Hind]

I've considered pulling that breaker and going with a regular one and just replacing the couple outlets that aren't dedicated GFCI's anyway.

I've done that exact same thing before.