[dejphoto]

I am trying to replace a GFI outlet in master bath. There are 2 GFI breakers in my breaker box. I turned them both off, but I still get 120 reading when I check the outlet wires with multimeter. How is this possible? Would the GFI outlet be on regular breaker? The 2 GFI breakers seem to be labeled correctly.

Thanks for any help.

 

[More Power!]

A GFCI outlet on a branch circuit that already has a GFCI breaker wouldn't make sense, so, yes: Your bathroom GFCI outlet is likely on a non-GFCI-protected branch circuit and your breakers are mis-labeled.

 

[seharper]

Are you sure they're GFCI breakers? They might be AFCI breakers.

AFCI work totally differently and basically need to be breakers. They are listening for arcy-sparky electrical noise on the wires indicating bad or shorting connections.

AFCI has been required since ... 1999?... for bedroom receptacle circuits.

Two AFCI breakers is about right for bedroom protection.

 

[afjes2015]

seharper:

Are you sure they're GFCI breakers? They might be AFCI breakers.

In this case it would not matter what type of breaker is in the panel. shutting off the breaker would kill power no matter what UNLESS the wrong breaker is being shut off and in this case that is what it sounds like to me.


dejphoto: I don't know you skill level. The breaker feeding the GFCI receptacle in the bathroom can be a regular breaker since the receptacle is a GFCI receptacle.


If you do not have anyone to assist you in finding the proper one plug in a radio in the receptacle, turn the volume way up, start flipping breakers off and on until you don't hear the radio anymore then you know you have the proper breaker turned off.


The breakers were probably not noted correctly on the panel.

 

[dejphoto]

Thanks for the help guys. My problem was that the box was certainly labeled wrong and the outlet wasn't working, so I couldn't plug anything into it to find it. I ended up turning the whole house power off and replacing the GFCI outlet. After that it worked and I was able to trace it to the correct breaker, which, as you said, was not a GFCI breaker. Thanks again!

 

[seharper]

Yeah AFJES I was guessing that OP saw the xFCI breaker and figured they were a matched set with the GFCI recep.

That's not as silly as it sounds; that's exactly how a certain Eaton product works: a remote controlled breaker operated by a matching A/GFCI recep. The breaker senses parallel AFs, the recep senses series AFs and GFs. Nifty feature is you can reset the breaker from the recep! Think hotel rooms or dorms.

 

[afjes2015]

dejphoto glad you got it solved.

...That's not as silly as it sounds; that's exactly how a certain Eaton product works: a remote controlled breaker operated by a matching A/GFCI recep. The breaker senses parallel AFs, the recep senses series AFs and GFs. Nifty feature is you can reset the breaker from the recep! Think hotel rooms or dorms.

I took a look at the link. I do not believe the reset at the receptacle can reset the breaker itself. It is basically stating you can reset and bring power back to the circuit at the receptacle. I could be reading it wrong but don't think so. It takes a lot of pressure of your hand to reset a breaker.

 

[seharper]

I took a look at the link. I do not believe the reset at the receptacle can reset the breaker itself. It is basically stating you can reset and bring power back to the circuit at the receptacle. I could be reading it wrong but don't think so. It takes a lot of pressure of your hand to reset a breaker.

If it were anyone else, no. But Eaton already has a line of Remote Control breakers. E.G. BRR120 and CLR120. So it's not a huge swerve for them.

Now, it's pretty apparent the BRR120 etc. was built on the frame of an old-school above/below duplex, with switches nose to tail instead of abeam. One is the switch which is auto-thrown, and the overcurrent protection which is not. But I don't think that's a technical limitation, I think it's because UL doesn't want people auto-resetting breakers. In this application that's not a factor, so they may well have hooked the R/C breaker actuator to the breaker proper.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Is the 120 you are reading real or just ghost ?