GFCI Question

[Arthur Shapiro]

I needed to replace an electrical outlet that very conveniently was downstream of a GFCI outlet. So I just pushed the 'test" switch on the GCFI and happily went on my merry way.

I found that at the replacement location the box itself had broken (the threaded portion of the top side was fractured) and thus there was a midstream trip to Lowe's to pick up a new box. I simply re-enabled the GFCI for an hour while I ran my errand.

Upon getting home, I broke out the old box, installed the new box, and started to reinstall the new outlet. To my surprise, I got a shock. I'd forgotten to disable the GFCI outlet this second time.

Question: shouldn't the GFCI have triggered? I was hardly on the verge of electrocution but am somewhat surprised at the outcome.

Art Art

[RBM]

I would think that it wouldn't trip if you got a line to neutral shock. You just became a resistor. You probably didn't create a ground fault. Try it again touching the hot leg and ground... Just kidding. You may want to try it with a pig tail socket, just to be sure it is working.

[RBM]

I would think that it wouldn't trip if you got a line to neutral shock. You just became a resistor. You probably didn't create a ground fault. Try it again touching the hot leg and ground... Just kidding. You may want to try it with a pig tail socket, just to be sure it is working.

[Joe]

You're using plastic boxes, right?

Joe

[Arthur Shapiro]

Yes ... thankfully, or it would have been Bad News to destroy the old one and get it out of the wall with no damage.

What is the underlying issue that raised your question?

Art

[Art Todesco]

Two things and just theorizing here. GFCIs usually trigger between 1 and 2ma. Also, they do take some amount of time. You got a tingle, I'm assuming, which may have been less than the trip level current. It's pretty hard to get 1ma from 120 volts without squeezing real hard, breaking the skin to the tissue below or having some other conductor like water involved. Water by itself is not that good a conductor, but combined with salt on you skin and other impurities, it is a better conductor. Also, you probably didn't hold on long; you probably pulled back quickly.