I'm having a tough time with the installation of a Leviton GFCI in my kitchen. I have four wires (two black and two white) that seem to come from the same conduit. One of the white wires is wrapped with black electrical tape. This GFCI is wired on the same circuit as some upstairs bedroom lights and a few outdoor lights that were installed by the previous owner's contractor during a renovation.
I've figured out which black wire is the line after testing, and I assumed the white wire with the black tape was the neutral, so I wired it that way. I connected the second black to the load (gold screw) and the second white to the load (silver screw), but the GFCI wouldn't reset. I even tried switching the white wires around, but still no luck. The lights on the circuit are working fine, and the reason I'm replacing the GFCI is that the old one wouldn't reset.
I'm open to calling an electrician, but I'm pretty handy and it's frustrating not to figure this out on my own. Can anyone offer some advice?
3 Answers
Have you tried disconnecting the load side and seeing if the GFCI resets? Sometimes doing that can help figure out if the problem is with the load.
Is the line wiring still hot? If it's receiving power, the GFCI should reset without any issues. Just want to make sure there's actually power getting through.
Yes, it’s definitely hot. I double-checked everything when I went back to start from scratch.
The black wire wrapped in electrical tape usually indicates it's switched, so you might be dealing with a switch leg here. Just to check, is this setup for something like a garbage disposal?
Nope, not for a garbage disposal. It's actually connected to a light switch in the bedroom on the same circuit.
I haven’t tried that yet. I’ll give it a go tomorrow and let you know how it goes.