I want to replace the standard outlet in my bathroom with a GFCI...
My question is... does it need to be placed in a particular place relative to the breaker? like, first device... closest to the breaker, or last device (farthest from breaker)? does it matter?
If you make it the first device after the breaker, then any outlets that come after it will also be protected. Other than that fringe benefit, it really doesn't matter.
It depends what your application is. For example. If you wanted to put in several kitchen counter outlets, ideally you would put 1 GFI closest to the breaker, then the rest of the outlets could be non-GFCI since it is already being protected by the first one. In your situation, you are just replacing an outlet with a GFI. It's pretty straight foward. But if that outlet is feeding other outlets nearby ( like a fridge or something else) you might get nuiscance tripping. In that case you have to wire the outlet in a way so that the incoming feed continues out to the other outlets, and just have the GFI on its own ( nothing connected to the load side).
No
Clarification: "any outlets that come after it will also be protected" if and only if the downstream outlets are attached to the "load" terminals and not the "line" terminals. Either way is acceptable, depending on what you want the GFCI to protect.
the hardest part of installing GFCIs are old boxes that are physically too small for them to fit
Even most new boxes are too small, IMO.
Thanks to everyone who responded... I understand now!
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Not just old boxes...
I installed a GFCI in an exterior box under my deck - a box that came with a faceplate cut to fit a GFCI. I went inside and turned the breaker on, only to see a brief wisp of smoke coming from the box when I came back outside. The GFCI seemed to work, but obviously the smoke bothered me, so off went the breaker and out came the tools.
As it turned out, the box wasn't deep enough and one of the ridges had punctured the insulation on the hot wire just enough to cause an arc and a bit of smoke. So it was back to the store for a box extender. You would think that a box designed to house a GFCI receptacle would be big enough to actually do the job it was designed to do!
Mouse tells the Elephant; if it don't fit, don't force it!
Oren
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I have replaced a bunch of boxes because they were too small......
its a PIA sometimes it easiest to put a blank cover on the box and run a new circuit
As someone mentioned - be sure you know what you might be 'protecting' down stream. Freezer, Refrig, and other appliances with motors don't do well on GFCI, and if you don't realize the thing has tripped, you could end up with a freezer or frig full of rotten food!
Thanks to everyone who responded... I understand now!
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