2 GFIs in bathroom, one won't reset

[Hollywood D]

I just swapped out two gfi receptacles in a downstairs bathroom. The one next to the sink has both line and load connections. The one next to the toilet has only line connections. The one next to the sink works fine but I'm not getting any power to the one next to the toilet and it will not reset. All other outlets downstream are working correctly.

I have a few questions. Is this second gfi by the toilet even needed since there is already one by the sink? I could swap it to a normal receptacle. I couldn't find anything during a google search that addressed this issue. Or, if I disconnect the gfi by the sink and turn the power back on will it reset the gfi next to the toilet, then reconnect the other gfi that has both line and load?

I have the wires hooked up correctly as well as the ground. I thought maybe the new receptacle was bad so I hooked up the old one and got the same results. Oh and I checked all the other gfi's in the house and none of them are tripped.

 

[DirtyJersey]

Is the breaker on?
Was old receptacle working before you switched it?

Is the receptacle on same circuit as the one by the sink?

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[Bert_]

Usual cause is mixing up the line and load wires.

The second GFCI might be able to be eliminated ONLY IF it is fed from the load terminals of the first GFCI.

 

[Hollywood D]

Breaker is on I checked all of that

Old receptacle was working beforehand, I verified that

As far as I can tell it is on the same circuit as the one by he sink

This house was built in the 80s so I'm sure the original gfis are a retrofit

 

[csp]

One GFI shouldn't be fed by another one. Only regular outlets should be fed power from the load terminals of a GFI outlet and they will be GFI protected outlets by default.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Could be a bad GFCI

Need to test the wires at the toilet GFCI to be sure.

Are you certain that the toilet GFCI is fed from the sink GFCI?

 

[DirtyJersey]

Breaker is on I checked all of that

Old receptacle was working beforehand, I verified that

As far as I can tell it is on the same circuit as the one by he sink

This house was built in the 80s so I'm sure the original gfis are a retrofit

Put feed wires on line side and wire going to receptacle by toilet on load side. Put a regular outlet by toilet.
It will be GFI protected from the one at sink.
Trip the toilet receptacle and gfi at sink should trip if not id recommend calling an electrician.
You can pick up a tester for 10bux that will test gfi circuits.

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[alfredeneuman]

One GFI shouldn't be fed by another one. Only regular outlets should be fed power from the load terminals of a GFI outlet

There is no electrical reason why it shouldn't be done, and both outlets will operate normally
What reason (besides redundancy) do you have against it??

 

[PCustoms]

^^^Same question here.

I know of an entire bar that has GFCI wired line side. Theory is if 1 trips

• It doesn't kill the whole bar, and service continues
• The bartender isn't searching for the issue when the blender stops, the outlet RIGHT THERE tripped

 

[AntonLargiader]

That sounds like they're all wired line side. Not the same thing. Wiring a GFCI to the load side of a different GFCI, it seems to me that either of them could trip during a ground fault.

I know of an entire bar that has GFCI wired load side. Theory is if 1 trips

• It doesn't kill the whole bar, and service continues
• The bartender isn't searching for the issue when the blender stops, the outlet RIGHT THERE tripped

 

[PCustoms]

That sounds like they're all wired line side. Not the same thing. Wiring a GFCI to the load side of a different GFCI, it seems to me that either of them could trip during a ground fault.

Yes, I am an idiot, and typed load when I meant line.

I also see how the OP could have wired GFCI #1 line, then GFCI #2 to load side of #1. #1 tripping takes them both out, but #2 tripping only takes #2 out.


Other then a good way to waste $10 on the GFCI I don't see the purpose of having 2 in this case.

 

[ishiboo]

Yes, I am an idiot, and typed load when I meant line.

I also see how the OP could have wired GFCI #1 line, then GFCI #2 to load side of #1. #1 tripping takes them both out, but #2 tripping only takes #2 out.


Other then a good way to waste $10 on the GFCI I don't see the purpose of having 2 in this case.

Basically, the results of having a GFCI on the "load" side of another GFCI are undefined if they both have the same trip current. (This could be different if a GFCI breaker and a GFCI outlet was used, since the breaker could have a higher trip imbalance current.)

If there's a fault after receptacle #2, #2 may trip and not #1, #1 may trip and not #2, or both may even trip.

There's not a safety reason not to do so, it's simply usability.

 

[csp]

There is no electrical reason why it shouldn't be done, and both outlets will operate normally
What reason (besides redundancy) do you have against it??

I've seen nuisance tripping from having them wired in series. I can't explain it, but wiring them parallel (line side only) eliminated it.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Almost nothing in the World of electrical distribution is truly hooked up in series.
If it was, it was wrong from the start and the installer was clueless.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits

 

[csp]

Of course it isn't literally in series. I meant series as in the downstream GFIs wired to the upstream load side.

 

[Hollywood D]

I wired them up the same way they were originally. Are you saying I should switch the line and load on the one by the sink that's working and see what happens?

 

[alfredeneuman]

Since you have 2 of them just hook up both to the line connection.

Are you sure you haven't reversed the hot and neutral connection on the recep by the toilet? It's a common mistake and will cause the outlet to not have power.