How to Wire a GFCI Circuit
Starting in the early 1970s, the National Electrical Code introduced new requirements for outlets installed outside the home and exposed to water and dampness, such as swimming pools and garage areas.The new outlets, called Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFICs), are made with built-in circuit breakers that cut off electricity to a socket to protect people from electric shock from a faulty appliance. Homes built prior to building codes requiring GFCI outlets may not have these safety devices in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas. Homeowners should replace any potentially hazardous outlets by hiring an electrician or by doing it themselves. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Philips-head screwdriver
- Electrical tape
- Wire nuts
- Circuit tester
- GFCI outlet
Instructions
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Shut off the electricity to the old outlet at the main circuit breaker panel. Test that the circuit is dead with a test light or plug a lamp into the outlet and see if it lights. Turn the power off again before removing the plate and unscrewing the old outlet from the box leaving the wires still connected. Depending on the wiring configuration, there will be either a single cable or two cables, each with one black and one white wire attached to the old outlet. One set is the "line" cable coming from the main panel, and the other set, if any, is the 'load' cable transmitting power to the next outlet. Each cable will also have a copper ground wire.
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Disconnect both wires from the old outlet where there is only one cable servicing the box. That is the line cable and should be reconnected to the line terminals on the new GFCI outlet. Make sure the black (hot) wire is connected to the gold terminal and the white (neutral) wire to the silver terminal. With a metal outlet box, secure the copper ground wire around the green ground screw on the box; then, reassemble and turn the power back on. Plug a lamp into the new outlet. If it lights, leave it on and test the outlet circuit breaker by depressing the button against the plate and releasing it. If the light goes out. the GFCI outlet has been properly installed.
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Identify the line cable in a two-cable-serviced box by detaching the wires of one cable from the old outlet. Make sure the the power is off and the bare wire ends are not touching the sides of the metal box. Reconnect the power and place a circuit test light across the white and black wires. If the test light illuminates, that's the line wire. Shut down the power and mark that cable with tape. If a test light is unavailable, cover the bare wires of the disconnected cable with wire nuts, reinstall the old outlet and turn on the power. If the lamp lights, the connected cable is the line connection. Shut off the power, remove the old outlet and tape that cable. Install the new GFCI unit connecting the cables to the marked line or load terminals. Remember, black to gold and white to silver. Twist the two copper ground wires together with another short piece using a wire nut and attach the other end of the short piece of wire to the green ground screw on the metal box. Complete installation, turn on the power and test the breaker button.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit electrical outlet image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
