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of Home Improvements

*Question & Answer Electrical Outlets*

Dear Bob

I have 6 GFI outlets in my kitchen of which 2 don't seem to work. There is current going to each one. I don't understand why all the outlets are GFI's.

Dear GS

A GFI receptacle monitors the current entering and leaving through the hot and neutral sides. If the current is not equal it means that the current is leaving the intended path and is flowing through some sort of conductive material such as a piece of metal or perhaps a person. The receptacle senses this and stops the current from flowing.
Pressing the reset button should restore the power, if it fails to reset it should be replaced. If your kitchen is on one circuit you only need one GFI for the entire circuit. The GFI must be the first outlet on the circuit in order to protect the whole circuit.

Dear Bob

How can I test the GFCI that my electrician installed?

Dear DR

The GFCI is shipped from the factory in the tripped condition and cannot be reset until it is wired correctly and power is supplied to the device.
Plug a lamp into the GFCI and turn the power on at the service panel. Press the Test button; if the indicator light on the receptacle is on and the lamp is not; the line and load connections are reversed.
Press the reset button. If the indicator light goes on and the lamp also turns on; the GFCI has been installed correctly.
Press the test button every month to assure the GFCI is working properly. If the indicator light does not go out and come back on or if the GFCI can not be reset, it must be replaced.

Dear Bob

Why are the wires in my electric outlet different colors?

Dear MN

Regardless of the type of wiring you have in your home, here are some basics to remember:
The white wire is usually the neutral wire, but sometimes wiring installation requires it to be a hot wire. If the white wire is the hot wire, code it black with paint or electrical tape. A previous installer may not have coded the wire so be careful. If a red wire is present, it should also be hot.
The black wire is "hot."
The exposed copper wires are ground wires.

Dear Bob

How do I know if an outlet is at the beginning or end of a circuit?

Dear PK

If a single cable enters the box (or one set of black and white wires), the fixture is at the end of the circuit. This is usually, but not always, the situation with ceiling light fixtures.
If two cables enter the box (or two sets of black and white wires in older "knob and tube" installations), the fixture is in the middle of a circuit.
A third cable (or set of black and white wires) may also enter the fixture, depending upon the installation. The placement of the fixture within the circuit affects how it is wired.



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