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New House: Faulty GFCI Receptacle

By
Home Inspector with King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. Home Inspector Lic #207
It is easy to do, but one must be wary of taking too much for granted in new construction. The other day, expecting no problem whatsoever, I routinely tested a GFCI receptacle that was on the exterior of a garage. In fact, it was just on the opposite of the wall to the garage GFCI. Ninety-nine percent of the time, that exterior receptacle on the garage is a no-brainer. You test it and it trips the receptacle inside the garage.

I am glad that I did not assume that would happen. All the meters and testers below are not my typical circuit testing arrangement. Usually, I use the simple tester and the meter if I am digging deeper into something. In this case I used the meter just to make sure I was seeing things right in the bright sun. No doubt about it, that receptacle stayed energized.

The receptacle GFCI function just plain did not work. Glad I did not take it for granted that the builder, and the code inspector, got that one right.  Hope for the best, assume nothing!

 

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

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Steven L. Smith

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Comments (10)
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Suesan Jenifer Therriault
JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA
"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

Steve, this is one of mt pet peeves and it's happening more and more often here. It's not brain surgery, but it somehow is getting past everyone. Well, almost everyone.

May 01, 2009 10:15 AM
Katiejo Franks
Real Estate and Beyond, LLC - Scottsdale, AZ

Great post and great learning experience. keep it coming

May 01, 2009 10:23 AM
Tony Orefice
NorthGroup Real Estate/www.TonyORealtor.com - Concord, NC
Realtor- Cabarrus County, NC

Hey Steve,

Great catch! I'm never surprised when new home defects are found.

May 01, 2009 01:05 PM
Dan Callahan
Callahan's Home Inspections - Casper, WY

I never have understood why it is so hard for the electrician to go around the house and test all of the outlets they installed in a new construction. What would it take, 10-15 minutes of their day to show pride in workmanship.

May 02, 2009 01:14 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Dan,

But he or she would have to have a $6.00 tester.

May 02, 2009 01:22 AM
David Henke
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc - Newtown Square, PA
Realtor, Homes Just West of Philadelphia PA

So easy to miss but so important to find.  Thanks for the reminder.

May 02, 2009 06:57 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Just a thought - maybe the outlet was functional when it was installed and it went bad soon after?  I went through three GFCI receptacles on a remodel project last summer.  I have a suspicion that running large power tools off GFCI receptacles makes them fail.   I don't know of any studies proving or disproving my theory (and I haven't looked), but I've heard this theory repeated by contractors that have experienced the same issue.

May 03, 2009 02:51 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Rueben,

Not the case here, you cannot tell it with all the testers in the receptacle, but this was a regular receptacle being run (in theory) from another GFCI. All other GFCI's that it might have been hooked to were operating. I am pretty much certain it was supposed to be wired into the garage receptacle right behind it. What you say is likely to be true, I have seen many that just electrically died.

May 03, 2009 03:00 PM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

I test every one I find in a house, new or old. You just never know

May 04, 2009 06:40 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I had a new home once in which the fridge was off and then later it was on and still later it was off.  I noted it as a problem with the fridge.  Then later I returned to the kitchen, turned on the light switch, and the fridge started up.  It was controlled by the kitchen light switch!  You have to try real hard to do that!

May 10, 2009 12:33 PM
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Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals. Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector, ASHI certified inspector #252760 and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.

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