Potentially dumb GFCI question

[bryank930]

Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician. But I can do basic household electrical tasks.

I have an outlet on the side of my garage right now in one of those outdoor outlet boxes with the cover. It's a GFCI outlet, but it seems to be dead. The green LED is on, but I get no power to either socket. Pushing reset doesn't do anything. All the other outlets in the garage work. This is the only GFCI outlet in the garage which has it's own 200A service.

Because it's in the "dry box", can I replace that outlet with a standard 15A outlet, or does it have to be a GFCI? Common sense would say replace it with GFCI, but ONLY reason I ask is that I have a few standard outlets already and would have to go buy a GFCI outlet if I need one.

Which leads to another question...

Would this be a good replacement in this situation?
http://www.menards.com/main/electri...nt-gfci-w-trip-indicator/p-1401056-c-9526.htm

 

[jbberns]

Has to be GFCI

 

[aandpdan]

The garage outlets should be on GFCI's too.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Have you tried tripping it first with the test button? and then resetting? Some of the resets require you push in HARD, and quite a ways. I usually cannot get my finger tips to push the button in far enough, end up using the tip of a ground prong or a screw driver to push it in enough. It will make a loud click when it latches in.

The indicator light tells you the GFCI is tripped, and if there is a padlock symbol molded in the front of the face somewhere, the indicator light will also tell you that the receptacle is wired backwards (hot & neutral reversed), the receptacle will not reset if it is wired backwards.

Has this receptacle ever worked since you have lived there? it may just be wired backwards.

Charles

 

[Falcon67]

Replace the GFCI with another GFCI. I just replaced one with that problem.

 

[ghnl]

1) agree - replace with GFI outlet

B) first check if that outlet is fed off another GFI circuit. If that circuit has 'tripped' anything down stream will be dead.

 

[bryank930]

Just got in from replacing the outlet with another GFI. That did the trick. Apparently the LED is always on with these leviton GFI's? Ah well, it works now.

The old one looks like it got wet somehow. I'm going to seal around the box with some caulk or something.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

1) agree - replace with GFI outlet

B) first check if that outlet is fed off another GFI circuit. If that circuit has 'tripped' anything down stream will be dead.

Except that he has a green light on, which shows that power is getting to the receptacle.

Charles

 

[aandpdan]

Just got in from replacing the outlet with another GFI. That did the trick. Apparently the LED is always on with these leviton GFI's? Ah well, it works now.

The old one looks like it got wet somehow. I'm going to seal around the box with some caulk or something.

Did you use a weather resistant GFCI?

 

[matt151617]

You need to correct the water leakage or this one will just get fried too. Get a weater-resistant GFCI. I would replace the box with a new one, something is wrong if it's leaking. Make all the plugs in the box are siliconed.

Also, are you using one of those in-use covers if anything stays plugged into it? That may let in water if you aren't.

 

[eljefino]

If you keep blowing them, put a GFCI inside in the feed line if you can, and protect the outside one downstream. Then at least you're only out 29 cents at a time.

Bonus would be an extra outlet on an underused breaker.

 

[madosta]

This is not a dumb question! I'm glad you erred on the side of safety!

 

[bryank930]

If you keep blowing them, put a GFCI inside in the feed line if you can, and protect the outside one downstream. Then at least you're only out 29 cents at a time.

Bonus would be an extra outlet on an underused breaker.

That's not a bad idea. I might end up doing that this weekend when I re-do the whole setup.

I've attached a pic of what it looked like before I replaced the outlet. It looks a little....Um, rigged.

Now, how would I get this setup the right way?

 

[madosta]

If I were you I'd do something like this: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/exterior/siding/vinyl/accessories/j_block_01/outlet_box.htm