bens0472

Jim, Thanks for the tip! I'm using your method and also headed to ElectricalGuru.com, now. All the best, Ben

Steven, That's what I'm wondering - whether BOX 1 and BOX 2 are wired in parallel from a single breaker (a single breaker at the panel kills both outlets so I know they're both connected to the same breaker). Woudn't that mean, though, that both boxes should have LINE and LOAD cables? I'm going to follow Jim C.'s advice below and see what happens to BOX 2 when I disconnect everything in BOX 1. I expect that it'll lose power which should indicate that it's downstream of BOX 1 and NOT wired in parallel from a single breaker, but wired serially. If that turns out to be the case, then it's just a matter of determining which cable in BOX 1 is LINE and which is LOAD. Thanks for the reply. Ben

Hi, I'm a homeowner, going through a self-contracted bathroom bathroom renovation. Everything is all done, except that I'm changing out all of the outlets and light switches so that the color is more acceptable by the household inspector (my wife). In the bathroom, there are two GFCI outlets, one on either end of the vanity. One (BOX 1) has two cables coming into the box (each has a white, black and ground) and the other (BOX 2) has only one cable coming into the box (again, with a white, black and ground). Both outlets are GFCI outlets. In BOX 1, both blacks are spliced together and a third black is added to this splice (all with a wire nut) which then connects from this splice to the black LINE connector on the GFCI outlet. Likewise, the whites are wired similarly. Nothing is connected to the LOAD connectors on the outlet. The grounds are also wired similarly. In BOX2, as expected, the white is connected to the white LINE connector, the black is connected to the black LINE connector and the ground is connected to the ground terminal on the outlet. All this seems pretty straightforward. So - my question is this: given that both outlets are GFCI outlets, is there anything really wrong with this configuration (not having what appear to be the LOAD wires in BOX 1 connect to the LOAD terminals on that outlet). If this is incorrect/dangerous, is the following a safe/reliable way remedying this situation: 1) Turn off the power to the bathroom at the circuit breaker. 2) Disconnect everything in BOX 1 and unsplice all of the blacks/whites/grounds. 3) Of the two cables coming into BOX 1, protect the ends of one of them with a wire nut on the end of each of the white, black and ground. 4) Connect the other cable's wires to the LINE terminals on the GFCI outlet and connect the ground appropriately. 5) Turn the bathroom power on at the circuit breaker. 6) Press reset on the outlet at BOX 1 and test it with an appropriate outlet tester. 7) If it doesn't work, repeat steps 1 through 6, this time switching the cables in steps 3 and 4. If it still doesn't work, call an electrician. 9) If it DOES work, assume the disconnected cable IN BOX 1 is the LOAD cable. 10) Test the outlet connected at BOX 2. If it is getting power, something is wrong...STOP, turn off the bathroom power at the circuit breaker and call an electrician. If it is not getting power, go to step 11. 11) Turn off the power to the bathroom at the circuit breaker. 12) Replace the outlet in BOX 2 with a normal electrical outlet (Non-GFCI) 13) Connect the LINE and LOAD cables in BOX 1 as is appropriate for the first GFI outlet in a protected circuit. 14) Turn on the power to the bathroom 15) Test the outlet at BOX A. If it does not work, call an electrician. 16) If it does work, test the outlet at BOX B. If it does not work, call an electrician. Last - is step 12 necessary? Can I leave a GFI outlet at BOX 2 even if I find that it's downstream in the circuit from BOX 1 and can be protected by a GFI at BOX 1? If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and thanks for any advice. Sincerely, Ben