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New House: Faulty GFCI Receptacle

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

Posted by Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector on 05/01/2009 04:43 PM

Comments (10)

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Originally posted at: Steven L. Smith's Blog: New House: Faulty GFCI Receptacle

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10 Comments on New House: Faulty GFCI Receptacle

MAY

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.

Great post and great learning experience. keep it coming

Hey Steve,

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

MAY

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.

Dan,

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

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

MAY

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.

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

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

MAY

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!

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