GFCI Outlet Issue - Porch

fritz1255 · Sep 3, 2023

My daughter asked me to replace a standard outlet on her porch with a GFCI outlet. We installed it correctly but were not able to get it to work. It turns out that there are already three GFCI bathroom outlets downstream of this location, so essentially we had a single GFCI outlet in series with three others. I am guessing that we want to replace the three downstream GFCI outlets with standard outlets?

Avo Mk8 · Sep 3, 2023

fritz1255 said:
My daughter asked me to replace a standard outlet on her porch with a GFCI outlet. We installed it correctly but were not able to get it to work. It turns out that there are already three GFCI bathroom outlets downstream of this location, so essentially we had a single GFCI outlet in series with three others. I am guessing that we want to replace the three downstream GFCI outlets with standard outlets?

If you have GFCI protection downstream, I would have thought you would leave that connected to the existing feed. You can add the new GFCI as an independent outlet, don't connect the downstream ones to the load side of the new one!

fritz1255 · Sep 3, 2023

Avo Mk8 said:
If you have GFCI protection downstream, I would have thought you would leave that connected to the existing feed. You can add the new GFCI as an independent outlet, don't connect the downstream ones to the load side of the new one!

View attachment 110353

Okay that makes perfect sense, thanks much! We did indeed have the downstream GFCI's on the load side of the new GFCI on the porch. Thanks again for the advice.

Megawatt · Sep 7, 2023

fritz1255 said:
My daughter asked me to replace a standard outlet on her porch with a GFCI outlet. We installed it correctly but were not able to get it to work. It turns out that there are already three GFCI bathroom outlets downstream of this location, so essentially we had a single GFCI outlet in series with three others. I am guessing that we want to replace the three downstream GFCI outlets with standard outlets?

If it’s already GFCI protected then you can just install a regular receptacle as long as it’s weather resistant. Sorry for the delay.