Simple question about GFCI
 

I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?

Simple question about GFCI
 

If you make it the first device after the breaker, then any outlets that
come after it will also be protected. Other than that fringe benefit, it
really doesn't matter.


"RedDwarf" wrote in message
...
I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Jan 23, 1:26*pm, RedDwarf wrote:
I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?

It depends what your application is.
For example. If you wanted to put in several kitchen counter outlets,
ideally you would put 1 GFI closest to the breaker, then the rest of
the outlets could be non-GFCI since it is already being protected by
the first one.
In your situation, you are just replacing an outlet with a GFI. It's
pretty straight foward. But if that outlet is feeding other outlets
nearby ( like a fridge or something else) you might get nuiscance
tripping. In that case you have to wire the outlet in a way so that
the incoming feed continues out to the other outlets, and just have
the GFI on its own ( nothing connected to the load side).

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:26:57 -0800 (PST), RedDwarf
wrote:

I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?


No

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Jan 23, 1:49*pm, "curmudgeon" wrote:
If you make it the first device after the breaker, then any outlets that
come after it will also be protected. *Other than that fringe benefit, it
really doesn't matter.

"RedDwarf" wrote in message

...



I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Clarification: "any outlets that come after it will also be protected"
if and only if the downstream outlets are attached to the "load"
terminals and not the "line" terminals. Either way is acceptable,
depending on what you want the GFCI to protect.

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Jan 23, 2:20�pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jan 23, 1:49�pm, "curmudgeon" wrote:





If you make it the first device after the breaker, then any outlets that
come after it will also be protected. �Other than that fringe benefit, it
really doesn't matter.

"RedDwarf" wrote in message

...

I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Clarification: "any outlets that come after it will also be protected"
if and only if the downstream outlets are attached to the "load"
terminals and not the "line" terminals. Either way is acceptable,
depending on what you want the GFCI to protect.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

the hardest part of installing GFCIs are old boxes that are physically
too small for them to fit

Simple question about GFCI
 

the hardest part of installing GFCIs are old boxes that are physically
too small for them to fit-

Even most new boxes are too small, IMO.

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Jan 23, 1:26*pm, RedDwarf wrote:
I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?

Thanks to everyone who responded... I understand now!

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Jan 23, 2:23Â*pm, " wrote:
On Jan 23, 2:20�pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:





On Jan 23, 1:49�pm, "curmudgeon" wrote:

If you make it the first device after the breaker, then any outlets that
come after it will also be protected. �Other than that fringe benefit, it
really doesn't matter.

"RedDwarf" wrote in message

....

I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...

My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place
relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker,
or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Clarification: "any outlets that come after it will also be protected"
if and only if the downstream outlets are attached to the "load"
terminals and not the "line" terminals. Either way is acceptable,
depending on what you want the GFCI to protect.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

the hardest part of installing GFCIs are old boxes that are physically
too small for them to fit- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Not just old boxes...

I installed a GFCI in an exterior box under my deck - a box that came
with a faceplate cut to fit a GFCI. I went inside and turned the
breaker on, only to see a brief wisp of smoke coming from the box when
I came back outside. The GFCI seemed to work, but obviously the smoke
bothered me, so off went the breaker and out came the tools.

As it turned out, the box wasn't deep enough and one of the ridges had
punctured the insulation on the hot wire just enough to cause an arc
and a bit of smoke. So it was back to the store for a box extender.
You would think that a box designed to house a GFCI receptacle would
be big enough to actually do the job it was designed to do!

Simple question about GFCI
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:23:53 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

the hardest part of installing GFCIs are old boxes that are physically
too small for them to fit

Mouse tells the Elephant; if it don't fit, don't force it!

Oren
--

Simple question about GFCI
 

I have replaced a bunch of boxes because they were too small......

its a PIA sometimes it easiest to put a blank cover on the box and run
a new circuit