GFCI Troubleshooting

[@leelee8406]

Thanks so much for your video. Two of our outlets in our kitchen weren't working. Our microwave stopped working too. None of the breakers weren't tripped. I checked all the outlets in the kitchen, and it ended up being an air freshener that was plugged in, that was super hot. I think it definitely was that air freshener that was causing the other outlets to trip. Once I unplugged the air freshener, I reset the two outlets that weren't working, and thank goodness it worked. No more issues, and now the microwave works again!!!...This saved us from having to call our electrician!!!👍👏👌😊

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@christophersmatla1932]

Great video. Thank you. Going to figure it out now. Subscribed

[@handydadtv]

Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!

[@shawnarider916]

Kevin Rider - Having the same issue with a commercial coffee maker at a building I take care of. I've watched it trip while operating fully and pulling 11A, and have replaced the GFCI but have had it trip since I installed it. Found when I flipped the breaker off I still had 10V at the outlet and then at other times I was getting 1.8V at the circuit. It's been 1.8V at the circuit a while now with the breaker off and haven't had any issue with it tripping for a while now - weird what you find sometimes going on with electricity.🤨

[@handydadtv]

Wires running next to each other can induce small voltages even if the breaker is off. forums.mikeholt.com/threads/induced-voltage-in-wire-due-to-current.71231/

[@Aerialphotovito]

Hands down it’s the GFCI I work at a large scientific facility with a lot of kitchens and break rooms and we get work orders for tripped GFCIs all the time and it’s usually the coffee pot or some weird appliance.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks!

[@mad2barxhst]

GFCIs are designed/manufactured to trip if they sense a current difference of 0.005 amp or 5 milliamp or more between the line (hot) and neutral conductors to the load,i.e. appliance, etc. Appliances have insulation between windings and ground if equipped with a motor or resistive element and ground if equipped with a heating element. There can be a small amount of leakage current through the insulation. Regulatory agencies require that this leakage current be less than 0.5 milliamp.

[@handydadtv]

Good to know. Thanks!

[@DOLRED]

Some of these GFIs are just plain quirky. I have learned a tiny amount of variant voltage (Usually from electric motors) can trip them. Although a coffee pot is just a heating appliance, they do have a heat thermal cut off switch/ Thermostat which cycles. The longer the pot is left "On," the better the chance of the GFI tripping due to the action of the stat. Our refrigerator used to trip its GFI about once annually or more, usually near vacation time (Must have been a subtle divine warning!). I remember getting an extension cord and using a connection to a plain outlet while we were gone. My word to the wise is: Be cautious, you could come home to spoiled food and a smelly refrigerator. Almost happened to us. I believe they now say do not use GFIs for appliances with compressors or motors (Because their internal switches and motors will arc and trip a GFI on occasion (Probably will when you are away).

[@handydadtv]

Thanks

[@devellwilson7099]

Thank you for the knowledge

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@dirkplummer]

Not all Heroes wear capes. Thank you Sir, the wiggle did the trick.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@alessandropieri6036]

Hello, Thanks for video! I just bought a GFCI outlet and am wondering if the test button (breaker) should pop when pressing the reset in when it’s fresh out of the box and not connected to any power? TIA 🌻

[@handydadtv]

The test only works while connected to power.

[@nicoleancell6860]

My reset button keeps getting stuck. I’m guessing I just need to replace the entire housing.

[@handydadtv]

Yeah, just replace it.

[@Speckled_Butterfly7206]

My moms house has older gfcis and weirdly only 1, but we tried to do some floor work whichcause some issues, which i tried fixing the symptom, not knowing to go for the root which may be the bathroom gfci. Now when i tested it with the sniffer, it beeps for the hot side but not on the neutral, and the small plug in tester shows both are plugged correctly. But the down stream symptoms are 3 of our kitchen plugs do not work at all. Oh and the gfci reset buttons do not let me reset it either. Now that i know about them needing to be near water,we really should have 3 in the house.

[@handydadtv]

Yes, you definitely need to start by replacing the GFCI if it fails to trip when tested. I had a similar situation where both of my bathrooms were wired from the same GFCI. It’s not a code violation; just a cheap electrician. Watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpPQg3iKntOqZqM

[@Speckled_Butterfly7206]

@handydadtv thank you for sure. I will definitely look at changing it and I hope it fixes it. And I will watch it for sure. I have been trying to learn as much as I can to help my mom out with her being on a fixed income.🙏 thank you again for your advice.

[@kaltrex9465]

My shaving cream bottle exploded and splat is on the GFCI. In the nooks and crannies. Is it worth it to vacuum out the outlets and Q-tip after shutting off the breaker?

[@handydadtv]

The vacuum is a good idea.

[@worldpeace5853]

I installed Leviton GFCI in two bathrooms, since the outlet stopped working all of a sudden. One of the GFCI outlet has the small green light ON but still not working. The other GFCI’s green light is NOT ON and is also still not working. On both GFCI outlets the test and reset button is also not working. The black test button does not go in but the red reset button goes in and that is it. I searched all over the house and I found/reset 4 other working GFCI outlets, one in kitchen and one in basement and 2 in garage and they all work good. What May be causing the issue in the bathroom GFCIs please?

[@handydadtv]

It’s very strange to have a green light and not be working. Sounds like it may be bad. I’d move the other one to replace that one and see if it goes on. It sounds like the second one may be wired as load from the first. So a second GFCI may not be needed at all.

[@worldpeace5853]

@@handydadtv You May be right here. I forgot to mention the second GFCI with NO green light ON in small bathroom was in place of a regular outlet. I put GFCI in there because it was in the bathroom. I am thinking to alternate the Hotwire on the one that has green light ON since I read it may be a polarity issue? Do you think that’s a good approach? I don’t know why this house had a regular put in the small bathroom before. Note: I am still learning things as we recently moved to this house.

[@handydadtv]

@worldpeace5853 It probably had a regular outlet because it was protected by the other GFCI. That is a common practice.

[@handydadtv]

@worldpeace5853 Be sure to watch this one… kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5_Tp4Gqa5psZ6c

[@worldpeace5853]

@@handydadtv I will try this sometime this week. Appreciate your prompt reply. Please keep up the good work on the videos. Loved your explanation on the other video down below as well.

[@vijayppatel]

In my home all bath room plugs are off ( no gfci ). EB switch is on for bathroom. I checked dollar rama night LED light its turn on with very low light but nothing else. Can someone help here

[@handydadtv]

If a nightlight is your only means of testing voltage, you shouldn’t be doing your own electrical work. That said, you must have a tripped GFCI outlet somewhere.

[@marvinwindsor5896]

Maybe check your breaker panel to see if the bathroom circuits are on an Arc Fault breaker - noticeable for having a Test button. That's what my house does for bathrooms.

[@legs7148]

Many thanks, I figured it out thanks to you ❣️

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@zackaryradford4867]

Our electric kettle caused a similar issue. Turned out to be steam condensing inside of the outlet and causing the short

[@handydadtv]

Huh. Good to know. Thanks!

[@C.KenTeri-yaki]

I had a bad outdoor outlet downstream from the GFCI. The bad outlet was not WR (water resistant) and was located on an upstairs balcony. That outlet was exposed to rain or moisture. Four electricians couldn’t fix it. I believe one knew what the problem was but wanted to charge me $2,000 for a “circuit analysis”.

[@handydadtv]

Yikes 😱

[@CarlosColucci]

I installed one GFCI today and it seems to be working well except for one thing. I connect a lamp and press test and it trips and turns the lamp off. But the green LED light never turns on. Then I press reset, it makes a sound again and the lamp turns on. Do you know why the green LED in the GFCI won't turn on? I have 130V from L to N, 130V from L to G and close to 0 V from N to G.

[@handydadtv]

Sounds like all is working except the indicator light. So it’s just a faulty indicator. The test button is far more important.

[@CarlosColucci]

@handydadtv I was thinking the same. But it's brand new, I'll check again tomorrow to see if all is connected correctly and maybe run some tests on the grounding. I'll call Schneider Electric last to see if they have any other thoughts. I agree the buttons functioning is far more important but the led light is a nice indicator to have :). Thanks a lot for your quick response!

[@user-px1kj9fo1c]

I purchased a new GFCI outlet and installed it correctly using the voltage detector. About 1-year later the outlet stopped working again. So this is twice. Original why I replaced it. Any recommendations. Thank you

[@handydadtv]

Sounds like bad luck. They don’t fail very often.

[@edallard6287]

Another thing. Was there anything else plugged into that circuit?

[@handydadtv]

Good question, but I don’t think so. I’ll ask.

[@Fudgieguys]

I have had to replace several GCFI outlets just because everything else worked. I know GCFI outlets go bad or are weak. The standard practice is to replace them if you can not determine the cause of the issue.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks for the info

[@blackrichard1029]

Nice practical sample!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@Victorseafog]

so nice you make a video that only applys to well off folk some of us have fuses and old very old panels and when a GFCI goes off and won't reset there is no clue but okay everyone lives in this world in a modern house with modern breakers ....I have fuse in my garage and I can't reset the GFCI the button is full stop. You have what you have . 1940 home Its a hybrid between breakers and fuse with central AC its awful and the house needs to come down Thsnks it is good.

[@handydadtv]

It’s completely inappropriate to relate circuit breakers as a measure of affluence! They’ve been required in all dwellings since the mid-1960s, regardless of price. It sounds like someone already started modernizing your electric service. I’d think about finishing that job.

[@robertalbert6175]

It's definitely the coffee pot. It's probably pulling too many amps. I have this problem at the hotel I work in. The ladies like to bring their own hair dryers instead of using the ones the hotel provides. And of course, the ones they bring are of a much better quality that draws more amperage, causing the gcfi to pop off.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks

[@peterstephenson6738]

My gfci just randomly started working. It stoppped working after the circuit pop.

[@handydadtv]

Somebody pressed reset.

[@peterstephenson6738]

The reset was keep popping and the new one did the same thing. After couple hours it just started working

[@handydadtv]

Oh. That means there was a ground fault somewhere.

[@eliascruz9757]

Great investigation work I try to do that too process of elimination

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@whitebear1903]

awesome, thank you so much

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@ralf4k]

That's an awfully hot coffee pot!

[@handydadtv]

Indeed

[@EpicConspiracy]

I’m just waiting here for a new living the flip or cub cadet yard mowing episodes 🤭

[@handydadtv]

We’ve got a couple of TLF projects in the works.

[@harryl7946]

Wired wrong is usually the issue whenever I find 1 is having an issue. I vote replace the coffee pot! 😂

[@handydadtv]

They like their little percolator. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

Sometimes the gfci can become weak which is why it trips unintentionally

[@handydadtv]

Yeah that was my thought too.

[@jewely9757]

Plug it into a different gfci. I would have tried that first.

[@handydadtv]

Good idea

[@twintwo1429]

Another problem with gfci outlets is: up to 30% of these outlets pop at 5 amps below the rated amperage limit. Therefore, they are bad ,even when installed as new. YES, YOUR GOVERNMENT IS ABSOLUTELY ALLOWING MANUFACTURERS TO SELL YOU PRODUCTS THAT COST YOU MORE MONEY.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks

[@pokeisking]

💪

[@handydadtv]

💪🏻

[@troyrobinson4949]

Keep that up it will pop lol 🤣

[@handydadtv]

😊