GFCI outlet

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infamous

infamous

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 10, 2009
220
19
18
canada
I've decided to switch my outlets to ground fault interrupter outlets. Now, i'm somewhat confused in how i can rig this up. I have six appliances i have to plug in (3 pumps, 2 heaters and a grounding probe) and i was wondering what would be my best bet to accommodate all these appliances so they are all protected by GFCI. If i were to plug an extension cord into the GFCI outlet, would it still be protected? Any advice/input is greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance
-Infamous
 
If I may jump in on this too...I didnt put the GFCI outlet in before the tank was sitting in front of it. Can I use a power block with one on it and it work just as well??
 
As long as the GFCI is in between the wall wiring (behind outlet) & the appliances, it should work. It would be wise to check your house's wiring before doing this, though. You can buy a cheap plug bug (every man should have one!) at radio shack that will tell you if the current outlet is wired correctly before the project & you can use it to check your new outlet/strip after you're done. That's cheap insurance! Just because your stuff works now does not mean the outlet is already correctly wired. Appliances will usually work even if there is a reverse neutral/ground or other issue, whereas the GFCI may not work correctly. Pay attention, kill the breakers and you should be able to breeze thru the install in no time. Good luck!
 
I should clarify...The GFCI can be in the strip or in the wall. Doesnt matter. BUT, if you use the GFCI power strip, dont plug anything else into the empty slot in the wall outlet. It wont be protected & may interfere with the GFCI.
 
JakeH;2952213; said:
As long as the GFCI is in between the wall wiring (behind outlet) & the appliances, it should work. It would be wise to check your house's wiring before doing this, though. You can buy a cheap plug bug (every man should have one!) at radio shack that will tell you if the current outlet is wired correctly before the project & you can use it to check your new outlet/strip after you're done. That's cheap insurance! Just because your stuff works now does not mean the outlet is already correctly wired. Appliances will usually work even if there is a reverse neutral/ground or other issue, whereas the GFCI may not work correctly. Pay attention, kill the breakers and you should be able to breeze thru the install in no time. Good luck!
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In my experiences, 110 volt anything wont work unless correctly wired. Its not like 480 volts where you wire it wrong and it runs backwards. 110 volts only works one way, wire it backwards and it either doesnt work at all or it trips the breaker the plug or whatever was on...but regardless, if the gfci is between the house wiring and your equipment youll be fine...as as for the gfci power strip, that will work also as another poster stated, dont use the wall outlet for anything you dont want protected.
 
The same wiring faults can exist in many different configurations. You are right about the GFCI placement (anywhere between house & gear). I dont know where you were dealing with 480v, but for god sakes be careful! Single-phase 480v is essentially a 110/120v circuit with 4 hot legs, instead of just one (and MUCH bigger wires). I was a Master Stage Rigger & Electrician for many years, and believe me, a 15-amp 110v cicuit can cause just as many issues as 1000-amp 3-phase 208v or 30-amp single-phase 240v.
If the hot & neutral are reversed, the appliance will still work, with reversed polarity & you would never know. If the neutral & ground are reversed, the appliance will still work, but will not be grounded properly & pump current straight to ground. Again, you would never know. Age of the house doesn't really matter, either. Electricians have always been 50/50...No way to know if you got a good one or the guy who just doesn't want to work today! Get a plug bug. Better safe than sorry, especially with electricity.
 
Okay, this electrical stuff is a bit over my head.. So if i have the GFCI powerbar connected to an extension cord which is then connected to a normal wall outlet will the stuff that is plugged into the powerbar still be grounded? and also, if i plug the powerbar into the outlet then have an extension cord coming off of the powerbar will the stuff i plug into the electrical cord be grounded?
sorry if my explination is confusing, if it will help i could draw up a diagram :P
 
Just think of it as a waterline,the main is your wall plug wherever you place your ground fault protection anything you plug into it downstream is protected.......say you connect a hose to a spigot and only blue water comes out of the spigot anywhere downstream that you tap off the hose will be blue water coming out,if you think of it like that it's easy to understand,hopefully and i didn't confuse anyone worse
 
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