I'm having an issue with an outlet in my second bathroom that doesn't always work, even though the GFI outlet in my master bathroom seems to be fine. Sometimes, when I reset the GFI, the second outlet starts working again. Before I dive into checking out the second outlet, is there anything specific I should know aside from turning off the breaker? Could it even be the second outlet that's causing the problem?
3 Answers
It’s odd for the GFI to be functional while the downstream outlet isn’t getting power. Start by checking the wiring of the GFI outlet; if that's okay, the GFI itself might be faulty. It's much more likely to fail than the standard outlet.
It sounds like the outlet you're having issues with might be wired to the load side of the GFI. When it's wired correctly, any outlet on the load side should be protected by that GFI. Make sure to check the wiring on the GFI to ensure that the 'line' (incoming power) and 'load' (outgoing to other outlets) are connected properly. If they're reversed, it could definitely cause problems like the one you're experiencing.
Before digging into the second outlet, ensure the GFI isn't tripping unexpectedly. If the GFI outlet is functioning but the downstream one isn’t, there might be a wiring issue, like the load and line wires being reversed. If you pull the GFI out and test the wires while the power is off, you can tell which is which. If the wrong wire is marked as line, you’ll need to switch them back.