How to Install a Switch & GFCI Outlet
The National Electric Code (NEC) requires that ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) protect electrical circuits in specific areas, especially where water may be present. A GFCI receptacle continuously monitors the current difference between the hot and the neutral wires and breaks the circuit if that difference reaches a certain threshold, which can prevent electrocution. Any outlet along the circuit beyond the GFCI receptacle is also protected. To minimize the number of boxes in a room and for convenience, builders often place switches in the same box with the GFCI receptacle. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Multimeter or voltage detector
- Electrical wire
- Color-coded wire nuts
Instructions
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1
Turn off the power to the circuit you will be working on at the circuit breaker. Test the wires at the box where you will be installing the switch and the GFCI receptacle with a voltage detector or multimeter to ensure no electricity is flowing.
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2
Identify all the wiring coming into the box and label if necessary. You should have a set of three wires--hot, neutral and ground--coming from the circuit panel and another set leading to the item the switch will operate, such as a light fixture or fan. In addition, you will need a length of wire that you will trim down to fit during the installation.
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3
Cut two short pieces of hot wire, which will usually be black or red. It should be long enough to make the connection to the GFCI but short enough that it does not crowd the box. Remove about three-quarters of an inch of insulation from all exposed ends of all hot wires.
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4
Twist the hot wire from the circuit breaker together with the ends of the two short pieces you just cut. Secure them with a black or red wire nut. Attach the exposed end of one of the short pieces to the top brass screw on the switch and the "Line" brass screw on the GFCI receptacle.
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5
Attach the hot wire to the light, fan or other device to the bottom brass screw of the switch.
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6
Cut one piece of neutral, which should be white, the same length you cut the hot wires and strip the insulation on all exposed neutral ends, just as before.
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7
Twist the one end of the small piece together with the neutral from the circuit breaker and the neutral from the device being switches. Secure the splice with a yellow wire nut. Connect the remaining exposed neutral end to the silver "Line" screw on the GFCI. A neutral is never connected to the switch.
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8
Secure the switch and GFCI receptacle to the box with mounting screws, which usually come with a new receptacle. Install the faceplate.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use the "Load" terminals unless you have down-line receptacles you wish to be GFCI protected. This is not common, as too much load can create annoying "phantom tripping" of the GFCI.
All ground wires should already be connected to the box if it is metallic. If not, you will need to do another splice exactly like the neutral splice using the green ground screw on the GFCI receptacle.
