Isn’t electricity the standard survival requirement for many people?
Probably it is! Having outlets and circuits around your environment or home, which are not operating traditionally becomes really frustrating and concerning.
Safety must be your top priority when working on anything regarding electricity in your home. People are often confused about how to wire a GFCI outlet with two hot wires.
And you know what? The process is straightforward with using two wires to get the maximum benefits out of it.
Have you ever wondered why the outlet should have two hot wires? Probably not!
Let us show you this way! One desirable wire functions as a wire always connected to the power supply and feed the other wire.
Well, what about the other wire? It transmutes that voltage to a series of different devices. Sounds impressive, right?
Are you confused about the uneven wiring of your GFCI outlet in your surrounding or home? Or you are searching for wiring, which is best to wire a GFCI outlet?
Whatever may be the reason you have landed on the right spot. We will show you some most desirable tricks and hacks to wire your GFCI outlet using two hot wires.
What’s the catch, by the way?
We aid to help you how to wire a GFCI outlet with 2 hot wires in this complete guide.
Why a GFCI Outlet has two hot wires?
Do you know what? When GFCI outlets are set up in usual cases, and you will need to connect them via the bridge so two wires can supply power to the outlets.
Let us dig a little deeper!
The most obvious reason for a GFCI outlet having two different hot wires is that the same receptacle will have a switch plug and a constant feature. That’s a necessity, and there is no doubt about it.
Although this may differ from outlet to outlet and the significant reason for having two hot wires is based on different circumstances.
But wait! Predominantly, this will only occur when the whole hot source is being transmuted along one wire.
What’s more? The voltage operating from the head and through the wire can easily be fed to the other cables.
How to install a GFCI Outlet with two hot wires: A step-by-step guide
Do you desire to know the entire process of installing a GFCI outlet with two hot wires?
Well, we have got you covered with our step-by-step guide. Let’s dive in to see how this all functions.
Check the House for GFCI Protection
Firstly examine the house’s electrical outlets and trust me; it is crucial. Check thoroughly if there are any ground faults interrupters or the GFCIs.
You know what? Building codes in maximum states restrict that GFCIs outlets are generally installed in wet locations like garages, laundry, kitchen, and any other place.
Mostly it is present in such areas where there is a hazard from moisture-related shock.
A GFCI features a high-grade built-in breaker, which can correctly sense a fault or an electrical abnormality, which can immediately shut off power at the GFCI outlet, thus preventing a short circuit and an electric shock.
Many electrical systems in houses have not yet been modernized with upgraded tools, but they are effortless to use as a replacement for typical GFCI outlets.
Shut off the Power
What’s next? Shut the power off to the GFCI outlet on the fuse box or the electrical circuit breaker.
If you are confused about the circuit breaker or fuses which control the outlet where you are working, you can connect a lamp into the GFCI outlet and make it work.
At a time, shut off the breakers until you find which turns the light off completely. Make sure you remember to mark the circuit before heading forward.
Don’t Forget to Remove the Previous Outlet
Here is what you have to do next.
- Don’t forget to remove the GFCI cover plate.
- Ensure that you shut off power in the entire wiring of the outlet by using a circuit tester.
- Take the outlet entirely out from the box and remove the screws while holding the outlets in position.
- Disconnect the wiring of your old outlet.
- There must be at least three wires working in the outlet.
- If your outlet features two hot wires connected, the GFCI outlet also provides supply to other ones in the entire circuit.
- Believe it or not, the process is fascinating. Now you have to find the wires providing electric supply to the main circuit.
- Now remove the strings from it along with spreading both sides apart from each other. This is done, so the bare-wire doesn’t touch anything nearby.
- Ensure to turn on the supply at the panel.
- Here you will need to use a circuit tester to examine which wire ser carries the power.
- Mark the wires you founded using mask tape.
- Keep in mind to shut off the whole supply again from the main circuit.
Now Install the GFIC
- GFCI offers a pre-wired design having two different wire sets labeled as line and load.
- The set labeled as the line will function as a hot wire and is well-known for supplying the incoming power, while the load set will distribute the supply to extra outlets installed on the same circuit.
- Do you find it interesting? Well, it is, and there is no doubt about it. GFCI wires provide short-circuit and shock prevention to whole outlets; thus, you don’t need to install various GFCIs on every outlet.
- Attach the supply line you previously labeled using masking tape to the two-line hot wires on your GFCI outlet.
- The tape you labeled as white should be connected to the load pair.
- But wait! Here is something crucial to know. You have to attach white wire to white and black to black at all times. By using different wire nuts, you can secure all connections.
- Moreover, wrap all the connections using electrical tape to provide extra protection.
- Now put the outlet back in the box, and you have to be careful when folding wires inside the box.
- You can now put a cover plate over again.
GFCI Operation
Testing the operation is the last step in installing a GFCI operation. The steps you have to follow are:
- Turn on the power on the outlet.
- Now on the GFCI outlet, you can plug the lamp only to make sure the electricity is on.
- But if the power is not working, press that button on to restore the power.
- Test the GFCI by pressing the button, automatically shutting the power off while causing the red button.
- Once you press this red button, it will automatically reset the outlet and restore the power.
The Bottom Line
Lastly, you can check whether the outlet is working or not by operating it properly once you see the outlet working correctly, congrats! You have installed the GFIC outlet precisely at home.
