Typically, you would connect the line voltage to the Line pair, and you would run from the load pair to any downstream outlets and or lights. One pair is marked LINE and the other marked load. GFCIs come marked with two sets of terminals. Most of these have holes or notches for two wires per terminal and they're very secure. This works perfectly fine if you use "EZ-Wire" GFCI outlets they have a plate that clamps down with the screw to hold wires so you don't have to curl around the screw terminal. The following will also work but licensed electricians may cringe firmly screw both the line and load wires onto the line terminal (I see this all the time when working with daisy-chained switches in multi-gang boxes so it can't be THAT bad). The best way to do this is to wire-nut the line and load wires together (hot separate from neutral of course) along with a third piece of insulated wire to connect to the GFCI terminal. You will not be able to use the "load" terminals to connect wires as those will cut out when the GFCI does. If you really do want it this way, it's accomplished by connecting both line AND load wires to the "line" terminals on the GFCI outlet. As GFCIs start at about $11 and run up to $25 depending on a variety of factors (15/20A, TR/WR, EZ-wire, color, style, brand, region) putting multiple GFCIs on a circuit can become an expensive way to wire your home (though probably less expensive than rewiring the circuit completely). So, if bypassing GFCI at any given point would make any downstream outlet non-compliant, you'll need to either suck it up and protect the whole line, or install a second GFCI further downstream to protect the needed outlet. However, code does apply to individual outlets any receptacle outlet within 6 feet of a sink, tub, toilet, shower or other "wet" area MUST be GFCI-protected either by having a GFCI outlet there, or having one upstream that has this outlet as part of its "load". Even the fridge should probably have GFCI protection if it has water/ice dispensers it should just have its OWN GFCI, which trips when the fridge itself shorts and not the toaster next to it.Ĭode does not specifically require everything downstream of an installed GFCI outlet to be protected by that GFCI outlet, and so technically, bypassing protection is allowed. BUT, most devices, such as your DW and disposer (those can be on the same branch as the countertop outlets IF the home was built or last reno'ed before 1996) require GFCI protection anyway along with all countertop outlets. ![]() ![]() ![]() So, you can often keep the fridge running by strategically placing unchained GFCIs in the circuit around the fridge outlet, bypassing protection for the fridge. If the GFCI for countertop outlets trips while you're away from home, you don't want your fridge cutting out. ![]() Sometimes it's a no-brainer say your fridge is on your kitchen appliance branch circuit (perfectly acceptable). You have to ask yourself if that's what you REALLY want the design of a GFCI outlet is such that it will protect everything "downstream" of it and 99% of the time this is a very good thing.Īgain, consider whether you REALLY want to not have GFCI protection on these outlets (and whether it's allowable by code).
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