GFCI tripping when load connection added

I am trying to replace an old outlet in the bathroom with a GFCI outlet. When I add the line connections, I have no issues. When I add the load connections, the outlet trips as soon as I turn the power back on to the outlet. If I hit reset, it trips immediately. I don't need any thing attached to the outlet for this to happen. Down stream from the outlet is a light in my closet. That appears to be the only thing. I disconnected that light from its circuit to no avail. Does any one have any ideas what is going on? I must have a short somewhere in the line. The outlet box has an exposed copper wire as the grounding wire.

Reply to
Russell
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Something is tripping it. Wiring bad or something. It could be a bad GFCI and may be too sensitive, but somehow something is causing the problem only when the extra wire is added.

Get a meter and disconnect the feed through from the GFCI and test for resistance on all combinations white to black, white to ground and black to ground. They all should be zero. Also check each to a known good ground.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

I don't quite know what you mean by this:

"I disconnected that light from its circuit to no avail"

You unscrewed the lightbulb? You disconnected a wire at the light fixture? Or ?

Do you have a multimeter that you can measure Ohms with? If so, remove the bulb and remove the load wires from the back of the GFCI and measure the resistance between them, also measure resistance from each wire to ground. And just as a reminder, never try to measure resistance on a powered circuit (that's why you're disconnecting the wires from the GFCI) Oh yeah, almost forgot -- take those three readings with the closet light switch in each position.

Reply to
I-zheet M'drurz

Wouldn't zero indicate a short? An open on my Fluke meter reads "infinity". Just curious...

Joe

Reply to
Joe Bobst

Oh . . . Yea, I got to get a proof reader.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

You don't need a short. Something as simple as a shared neutral with another circuit will trip a GFI. If the downstream circuit doesn't show a short on a VOM, just pigtail to the GFI and wire the closet circuit straight through.

Reply to
Larry Caldwell

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Tony Hwang

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Phil Munro

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