Gfci receptacle problem


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Old 05-23-16, 03:58 PM
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Gfci receptacle problem

My kitchen does not have an original GFCI installed. I attempted to install one and I can't get it to work. The circuit is one side of a MWBC. Am I wrong to think that after the split a GFCI should work?

It is not an issue of the load side. Just connecting the line side prevents it from operating. Is it because the the neutral is shared with the other side of the MWBC that it sense the imbalance?

If so how does one add in a GFCI to an older install? Will I have to use standard outlets and install a GFCI breaker?
 
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Old 05-23-16, 04:03 PM
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You mean with nothing connected to the load terminals, you connect it to power source and it doesn't work? Did you press the reset button? Can you verify you have 120 volts at the line terminals?

If you have power, and it doesn't work with nothing connected to load terminals, you have a bad GFCI.

It doesn't care and can't tell if the line side is connected to half of a MWBC.
 
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Old 05-23-16, 05:19 PM
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Affirm, nothing connected. 120 on the line in. Connect a non gfci and it feeds down stream no problem. Reset button is not tripped and does not trip. Only thing that happens is that when I turn the power on at the breaker the little red light on the GFCI lights momentarily then goes off. Instructions (Leviton) states it should be green. Flashing or solid red indicates issues. Nothing about a blip of red.

Just to clarify, a GFCI looks to see if the power coming into the outlet (black) matches the power going out (White), if not then it trips?
 
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Old 05-23-16, 05:23 PM
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And you've pressed the reset with power applied, correct? Newer units won't reset unless power is applied....

If so, then it appears to be bad.
 
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Old 05-23-16, 08:49 PM
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Just to clarify, a GFCI looks to see if the power coming into the outlet (black) matches the power going out (White), if not then it trips?
Basically.... yes.

Normally the current flow thru black and white is equal. When there is a leak to ground more current flows on the black wire and the GFI trips.

I have seen two things.....
1 - A good number of out-of-the-box defective GFI receptacles.
2 - The reset button needs to be pressed in extremely hard... almost like it's defective.
 
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Old 05-23-16, 11:58 PM
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I'm guessing defective. It's brand new. Will take it back and get a new one.

Indicator had not tripped. Never got the green "good" light.

Thanks for the responses
 
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Old 06-11-16, 12:50 AM
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It was defective, new one worked like a charm.
 
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Old 06-11-16, 01:29 AM
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Thanks for the follow up.
 
 

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