How Many Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters On One Breaker

In this video I will show you how many ground fault circuit interrupters ( GFCI ) you can have on one circuit. I have been asked this question numerous times and now I feel like it shoudl be addressed. I am using 2 20 amp GFCI's in this demonstration. Any questions please feel free to shoot me a message.

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[thenite]

Okay, this is a bit confusing because there are some tests left out of this video (like testing the plug side while power is reaching the lug side of the brown CFGI or "child receptacle"). First of all, let's assign some names to the GFCI's in question. We'll refer to the first GFCI (white/off white) as the "parent" and the second (brown), third, fourth, ect... GFCI's as the child/ren. - outlets hooked up in series (connected to the bottom lugs of the GFCI outlet).

To simplify this, do not/never hook up GFCI's in series. Only connect them in parallel as if they are independent from other GFCI's on the same circuit. Voltage drop from one GFCI/GFI to another will prevent children from resetting. You only need one CGFI for child outlets ran in "Series" (using the bottom lugs on the parent GFCI to connect child outlets - being mindful of how many outlets you can run on one circuit by code).

GFCI should be able to trip with a short (grounded circuit) upstream and downstream, which trips the auto-shutoff feature of the receptacle/s (all the GFCIs on the same circuit should trip). The confusing part is that nowhere in the video does it show a reset of the child (brown) GFCI after the parent was tripped (indicating a voltage drop preventing the child GFCI from resetting or it wasn't manually reset until later, which we did not see), resetting the child GFCI should correct the power-flow to the plug-side/s of the all the children receptacles.

So, as elementary as the GFCI function is, as long as there is power fed through the receptacle both the parent GFCI and theoretically the series GFCI receptacles have been manually reset, the power should flow through to the plug side of the parent and child/ren GFCI's (unless there isn't enough power to the GFCI in order to reset it/them). Problem again is, there's a voltage drop that keeps child CFGI's from resetting.

The point is, , you do not need multiple GFCI's as long as you connect standard outlets in series to the parent GFCI outlet using the first method demonstrated in this video. It is not recommended to use this method to series GFCI's outlets (if it happened to work at all) because when one GFCI trips, they all should respectively trip and making it difficult to isolate where a short might be occurring (which will leave you and even a professional electrician with the proverbial head-scratch wondering why someone would subject themselves or anyone to that mess).

It is wiser to choose whether or not to provide direct power (wiring in parallel to each receptacle, isolating GFCIs and with or without child outlets) or simply installing one GFCI that controls all following child outlets in series (connected to the bottom lugs of the GFCI). - Do not add GFCI's in series, meaning a parent GFCI controlling GFCI/s downstream, that's just being a jerk and causing you the headache of having to reset all dependent GFCI's, if they work at all, in the event one becomes tripped. Rely on one GFCI to control multiple child outlets or provide direct power to each GFCI independently on the same circuit.

[EsqChrio]

I have an old house that has both bathroom wall outlets on the same circuit. I changed out both today with GFCI outlets and spent several hours trying to figure out why the second one would not work. Stumbled across this video and resolved the problem in a minute. Thanks for the video. It was a big help.

[takeniteasyfriend]

BLUF: Multiple GFCI receptacles on the same circuit must be wired electrically in parallel vs serially. Great 👍 hands on demonstration

[rw]

Greetings, Sir!

I think I have the answer to your question as to "why" this works (correct me if I am wrong). We know that an A/C circuit is a parallel circuit. SO, in order to make the 2nd GFCI independent of the first one, we have to wire the UNgrounded Conductors "in parallel with" the TRUE source (the circuit breaker).

By wiring the ungrounded conductors in parallel with the BREAKER, we allow current to flow to each receptacle at all times INDEPENDENTLY OF the upstream GFCI. I think this would be more evident into the viewers if you had used a pigtail, because it would show that the current is "dropped off" at the 1st GFCI receptacle AND it continues to the 2nd one simultaneously.

This reminds me: I need to make this correction on my own house tomorrow from when I was an apprentice. Thank you for your excellent videos! If someone already commented on this, I apologize!

[LuminusMarley]

I can’t express my gratitude enough! This was driving me crazy…I have one gfci line running to 2 bathrooms and I couldn’t get the new outlets to work in the second bathroom!
Problem solved! 😅🙏

[ericsmith]

Thank you. Home inspector said I had to put a GFCI on the outside [under porch] but no one realized it was daisy chained from the GFCI in the kitchen. Was having this very problem and this just fixed it.

[daniel.j.rauscher]

Thanks for this video. I’m a DIY-er getting ready to install several receptacles around my outdoor patio, so will have several GFCIs on one circuit. Basically, looks like pigtailing them / wiring in parallel is the only way to go.

[bb]

that is absolutely correct. I found that out the hard way when I was installing these in my kitchen renovation.

[andresmendez]

I’m a third year apprentice and even this video made more sense then some of these electricians on this job site !! Thanks 🤙

[ryshenk]

worked for me too thanks! - was going from existing GFCI outside my house, running power to an outside GFCI on a shed. seemed valuable to have both outside plugs as GFCI

[rickl]

The reason I want to do this is, I have two sump pumps in my yard that I want to run off of one 20 amp circuit with a regular breaker. I want the sump pumps independent of each other so if one trips their GFCI outlet it won't shut down the other sump pump when there is no problem with that pump. Thanks for posting this and explaining. I'll be wiring them so they are in parallel with each having their own ground, neutral and hot.

[LisaJensen]

We are adding an outdoor GFCI outlet off a line in the kitchen that already has 1 GFCI outlet protecting 3 standard outlets. How do you connect/wire a new GFCI outlet to a reg outlet? The line-load method is causing the new one to trip immediately. Thank you for the education!

[tonymendes]

Thanks. Great video. How close can you install a GFCI PLUG to a shower or a sink in the bathroom.

[slbreeze]

Thank you thank you for this video! I had it wired right but ended up with no bathroom fans, lights or outlet juice in two bathrooms. Made no sense until I finally found this gem advice, It worked! Now if I can just get the broken bottom screw out of the box housing, it'll look nice too. :)

[charlesbernius]

Good video Brother. Just retired out of IBEW Local 130. I can’t explain it either but you are correct, it doesn’t work if you use the load side to feed another GFCI.

[jamesbuchanan]

At 11:30 - Multi Wire Branch Circuits are the reason why you would want to use multiple GFCI on the same circuit. In a MWBC receptacles cannot be chained together and be protected by one GFCI.

[MissyRichmond-vmrf]

I’m brand new at all this but I’m eager and want to be great at it thank u for your video ! My question is when putting a gfci in what can u do wrong that your other outlets won’t be protected

[jacenas]

Lol, I have been going at it for 2 days on an outdoor project, powering an outdoor kitchen and outlet in the garden which we think should be gfi. This vid will allow me to redeem myself

[Mad_ghalley]

Thanks. I am doing my own basement and I had to put 3 gfci in the kitchen counter and I was having the same issue. I did it they way u showed in this vedio it worked. Thank.

[Kilrbbbs]

After scratch my head for an hour and wiring it the wrong way, I watch your video and problem solved. Thank you for the mock up walk through.