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erimak30

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Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to upgrade my bathroom GFCI and 3 switch plate in a metal box with a new GFCI and switch plate, but I'm running into a couple issues with the wiring.

The first thing that immediately jumps out at me is the fact that the neutral load white wire is grounded directly to the metal box, which doesn't seem right at all.

There are two sets of wires coming up through the box, one set on the left and one set on the right. The only hot wire in the whole box is the black wire from the left set.

The three original switches controlled the vanity lights, the shower light, and the shower fan. Ideally, I want to rewire for a 2 switch outlet so I can have the vanity light on one switch, and the fan and light in the shower on the other.

I tried wiring up everything exactly as it was, but that didn't work, so now I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. Any help would be much appreciated.

-Erik
 

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@Megawatt
This one is right up your street.

@erimak30
Megawatt is a us based electrician and is best to advise you on this issue.
First off that wiring diagram was not even close to being wired right you said the only hot in the box is on your left, don’t forget where it is. To wire a GFCI the hot goes on the top under the gold screw, the neutral goes on the top silver screw the bare wire is your ground which should be attached to the green screw on the GFCI receptacle. The bottom screws are for if you wire something else so it also be GFCI protected.
[automerge]1573739839[/automerge]
First off that wiring diagram was not even close to being wired right you said the only hot in the box is on your left, don’t forget where it is. To wire a GFCI the hot goes on the top under the gold screw, the neutral goes on the top silver screw the bare wire is your ground which should be attached to the green screw on the GFCI receptacle. The bottom screws are for if you wire something else so it also be GFCI protected.
As for your lighting that hot wire is going to the top of GFCI Then come off the bottom of the GFCI Which says load run a black wire from the gold screw to the top gold screw on your switches. Then you have to figure out what cable is your vanity lights and your cable to the shower and fan. Keep in mind that whoever done the original wiring could have connected the fan to the light in the boxes in your attic which at that point you need to hire a licensed electrician
 
Last edited:
First off that wiring diagram was not even close to being wired right you said the only hot in the box is on your left, don’t forget where it is. To wire a GFCI the hot goes on the top under the gold screw, the neutral goes on the top silver screw the bare wire is your ground which should be attached to the green screw on the GFCI receptacle. The bottom screws are for if you wire something else so it also be GFCI protected.
[automerge]1573739839[/automerge]

As for your lighting that hot wire is going to the top of GFCI Then come off the bottom of the GFCI Which says load run a black wire from the gold screw to the top gold screw on your switches. Then you have to figure out what cable is your vanity lights and your cable to the shower and fan. Keep in mind that whoever done the original wiring could have connected the fan to the light in the boxes in your attic which at that point you need to hire a licensed electrician

Thanks @James and @Megawatt for the replies.

That wiring diagram is exactly how it was wired when I first opened up the box to take a look, and the outlet, lights, and fan were all working. I can’t understand how on earth that worked.

I can tell from the switch positions that the yellow and blue wires on the left side control the shower light and fan, and the black wire on the right controls the vanity lights.

I tried isolating the gfci by wiring the hot black from the left set of wires to the gold line screw and the white neutral from the right set of wires to the silver line screw, but that doesn’t power the outlet properly. I can test for current and see that current runs through the outlet from the hot to neutral wires, but the light to the gfci outlet won’t turn on, I can’t reset the outlet, and plugging in a hair dryer obviously does nothing as well.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? It makes no sense to me at the moment.
 
Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to upgrade my bathroom GFCI and 3 switch plate in a metal box with a new GFCI and switch plate, but I'm running into a couple issues with the wiring.

The first thing that immediately jumps out at me is the fact that the neutral load white wire is grounded directly to the metal box, which doesn't seem right at all.

There are two sets of wires coming up through the box, one set on the left and one set on the right. The only hot wire in the whole box is the black wire from the left set.

The three original switches controlled the vanity lights, the shower light, and the shower fan. Ideally, I want to rewire for a 2 switch outlet so I can have the vanity light on one switch, and the fan and light in the shower on the other.

I tried wiring up everything exactly as it was, but that didn't work, so now I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. Any help would be much appreciated.

-Erik
Thanks @James and @Megawatt for the replies.

That wiring diagram is exactly how it was wired when I first opened up the box to take a look, and the outlet, lights, and fan were all working. I can’t understand how on earth that worked.

I can tell from the switch positions that the yellow and blue wires on the left side control the shower light and fan, and the black wire on the right controls the vanity lights.

I tried isolating the gfci by wiring the hot black from the left set of wires to the gold line screw and the white neutral from the right set of wires to the silver line screw, but that doesn’t power the outlet properly. I can test for current and see that current runs through the outlet from the hot to neutral wires, but the light to the gfci outlet won’t turn on, I can’t reset the outlet, and plugging in a hair dryer obviously does nothing as well.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? It makes no sense to me at the moment.
where
Did
the blue and yellow wire come from
Thanks @James and @Megawatt for the replies.

That wiring diagram is exactly how it was wired when I first opened up the box to take a look, and the outlet, lights, and fan were all working. I can’t understand how on earth that worked.

I can tell from the switch positions that the yellow and blue wires on the left side control the shower light and fan, and the black wire on the right controls the vanity lights.

I tried isolating the gfci by wiring the hot black from the left set of wires to the gold line screw and the white neutral from the right set of wires to the silver line screw, but that doesn’t power the outlet properly. I can test for current and see that current runs through the outlet from the hot to neutral wires, but the light to the gfci outlet won’t turn on, I can’t reset the outlet, and plugging in a hair dryer obviously does nothing as well.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? It makes no sense to me at the moment.
Thanks @James and @Megawatt for the replies.

That wiring diagram is exactly how it was wired when I first opened up the box to take a look, and the outlet, lights, and fan were all working. I can’t understand how on earth that worked.

I can tell from the switch positions that the yellow and blue wires on the left side control the shower light and fan, and the black wire on the right controls the vanity lights.

I tried isolating the gfci by wiring the hot black from the left set of wires to the gold line screw and the white neutral from the right set of wires to the silver line screw, but that doesn’t power the outlet properly. I can test for current and see that current runs through the outlet from the hot to neutral wires, but the light to the gfci outlet won’t turn on, I can’t reset the outlet, and plugging in a hair dryer obviously does nothing as well.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? It makes no sense to me at the moment
@Megawatt
This one is right up your street.

@erimak30
Megawatt is a us based electrician and is best to advise you on this issue.
 

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