GFCI outlet question.

[Goldeneagle]

I think a GFCI outlet has taken a crap on me. My house is wired kind of goofy. The outlet is in the garage and the circuit also has the outlets on the front and back porches. Here's the goofy part, one of the outlets in my bathroom is also on this circuit. Do I really need GFCI? If so, I'm thinking about putting the GFCI in the bathroom and out of the garage. What do y'all think? The biggest problem is my freezer is on this circuit.

[Greenheadless]

Per code it is required.

Whether you need it is your call.

[jomw10]

I'm no electrician but I though it has to be at the beginning of the circuit to provide the protection downstream from it.

[Bill M]

It is code. If your house was a builder tract home, the shortest run, less wire by the electricians that wired the house. As far as your freezer, have an electrician come put you a homerun or dedicated circuit. The outcome of a freezer on GFCI usually doesn't end well. Merry Christmas.

[Goldeneagle]

I changed out the GFCI and it's still tripping. I'm gonna wait and see if maybe one of the outlets got water in it from the rain. If making sure they are dry don't work, I'm calling a pro.

[AgHntr10]

Have you looked in the break box? You may have a GF breaker on that run that went bad

[Sasqy]

I'm no electrician but I thought !it has to be at the beginning of the circuit to provide the protection downstream from it.

Yup

[Bill]

I'm not a licensed electrician, but a home handyman- stayed in a Holiday Inn Express once!

The GFCI recepticle has 'line' and a 'load' connections, it's lettering in the plastic housing. All receptacles 'downstream' from the receptacle are GFCI protected. If your original GFCI in the garage has black and white wires connected to both the line and load connections, it's the 1st recepticle on the branch circuit. If you install a new GFCI and do not connect the load wires, it should work. Then if you connect the load wires and it trips, you have an issue on a recepticle downstream. Open them up and see if there's something wet/ corroded/ 'funky looking' in those conventional receptacles. I'd start with the one closest to the garage, I'm guessing the bathroom?

New construction requires a GFCI for all garage recepticles, your house depends on your local code. Once you figure out where the problem is, what you could do if your freezer's compressor is tripping the GFCI is put a conventional recepticle in the garage if it's ONLY powering the freezer (possibly violating local code- but it's your house). You don't want to plug in a tool or leaf blower since it's not GFCI protected. Then put the GFCI in the next outlet to protect the bathroom and outside receptacles. It would be a lot cheaper than running a new, dedicated branch circuit to the freezer.

My experience is my 3 year old GE freezer has a compressor that don't trip my GFCI it's plugged into. Remember to turn off the breaker before changing anything out.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

I have had corrosion in an outlet on my GFCI circuit cause it to trip. This was the same outlet I used for a masterbuilt smoker.

[Walker]

And the obvious. Your load breaker may be bad.

[PYBUCK]

Whatever you do, get the freezer on an independent breaker without a GFCI.

[coker737]

GFCI...It's all about LOAD or LINE

[Goldeneagle]

All is good. My son had left the pellet grill plugged in on the back porch. I think when we got that 2" of rain yesterday, water ran down the cord into the outlet. I took it out and it was wet inside. I just went ahead and replaced it while I was at it.

[BlessedVeteran0305]

GFCI is designed to trip if the circuit is over loaded. As far as the back porch, I would change that our to an outdoor plug maybe it won't trip as often.

[BigL]

Per code it is required.

Just means replace it now if you want but if you ever want to sell, you'll need to put one back before listing it. Once an inspection catches it, they may require an electrician to replace it.