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which GFCI to buy?

14K views 138 replies 6 participants last post by  SD515 
#1 · (Edited)
I just removed the GFCI that produced smoke when I pressed the test button. It is a 15 amp GFCI. The circuit breaker to the GFCI says 20 amp. My house was built 10 years ago.

Which new GFCI should I buy? 15 amp or 20 amp?
 
#10 ·
No, I don't think he caught the part where you said you turned it back on is all.
IF the breaker STAYED turned on, and the outlets do not work, there is most likely an open in the line somewhere.
If the breaker shuts itself off, there is a short.

DM
 
#11 ·
When I turn the breaker to the on position, it stays that way even though there is no power from it. In fact, when the old GFCI failed last week and produced smoke, none of the circuit breakers switched off by itself.

Does "open in the line" mean the line is interrupted?
 
#22 · (Edited)
I should point out that before the old GFCI produced smoke, it was triggered every time I turned off my barber clippers. In other words, I would plug the clippers into the GFCI, cut my hair, and then when I turned off the clippers, the GFCI would trigger, requiring me to reset it. Is this normal GFCI behavior when using hair clippers?

Is it possible the old GFCI was wired incorrectly when the house was built?
 
#27 ·
Another angle. Notice that there are 6 wires connected to the GFCI....

Ground.
Line hot.
Line neutral TIMES TWO
Load hot.
Load neutral.

I don't understand why the original GFCI had 2 neutral wires going into line, but I did the same thing to the new GFCI.

Why was it done this way?

 
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