Bathroom GFCI Bad?

jbeletti

Well-known member
Any one have any problems resetting any GFCI outlets in their Heartland?

We were running a ceramic heater sitting on the kitchen island and plugged into the island outlet.

We blew the breaker in the panel with Nancy turned on her hair dryer in the bedroom. It was plugged into the GFCI outlet on the vanity cabinet.

I assume when the island option is ordered, rather then dedicating a circuit breaker to it, it is tied to an existing breaker. In my case, the breaker that feeds part of the bedroom - specifically, the GFCI outlet in the vanity.

I reset the breaker but still no power at these 2 outlets. I tried the reset button on the GFCI outlet and it does nothing. It seems to physically be broken as there is no real travel on the TEST or RESET buttons.

I'll be taking a new GFCI outlet out with me in 2 weeks to try that. I'll have a VOM with me too and I'll test the feed into the outlet to make sure I am getting AC from the panel before I turn the breaker off. This will ensure I am not chasing my tail.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Does it sound like I am on the right track with this?

Thanks,

Jim
 

v92c

Texan
Have you checked the other GFI outlets to see if one of them is tripped? My thought is that maybe the GFI in the vanity is getting power from another GFI. That isnt they wat most electricians would do it, but you never know.
 

Wild Wind

Active Member
Sounds like the GFI is bad, which is not supprising. Sometimes I think that, one out of every ten GFI's are bad, and I doubt Hartlland spends a lot of money on thier materials. A heater and hair dryer is quite a load for any 15 amp. curciut, let alone, a GFI. Our Big Horn only has 15 Amp. breakers with # 14 guage romex. The RV industry does not have to follow the National Electric Load, which has always concerned me.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Had a GFI outlet go bad in our Truck Camper. Replaced it with one that has a little green light. You can see at a glance it it is on or not. They are hooked in a series. We have one in the outside fridge panel where it is plugged in. If you have one there you might check that out also.
 

BluegrassMan

Well-known member
Hi All:
Just an FYI, I haven't checked The GC yet, but in my last two trailers the outlet outside that we plug our awning lights into; is wired to the bathroom GFI. I found this out quite by accident one day. It makes perfect sense, especially if you're on wet grass. Just my $.02 worth.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Fixed! GFCI outlet was not bad

Well, my electrical outlet woes are solved - at least for now.

Using a VOM (volt ohm meter), I confirmed that I had no AC coming into the bedroom vanity GFCI outlet.

I removed the plastic door and frame from the AC breaker panel (4 screws).

Based on something BigBlue posted a week ago, I tried to tighten all of the screws on the ground and neutral bus bars and all of the hot wires on the output of the circuit breakers.

No screws (with circuit wires) were loose at all on the bus bars. One of the incoming AC main lines on the main breaker was loose by one full screw revolution.

AND, I was able to tighten by maybe a half revolution, the screw holding the circuit hot wire for breaker 4 that feeds the bedroom.

I then checked the voltage at the screws for all breakers. Breaker 4 had no voltage and the breaker was in the ON position. I reset the breaker and I had voltage on the output screw. Dead circuit fixed!

Like BigBlue, I had a pretty good load on the circuit when it failed. Probably due to this discontinuity (wire being held loosely by the breaker), I overloaded the breaker and lost the circuit.

That all said, I did reset that breaker when we first blew the circuit. Maybe the wiring was a bit too warm at that time for the circuit to reset internally - even though it "looked" okay visually.

If it fails again, I'll replace the breaker.

Jim
 

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BigBlue

BigBlue
Jim
Glad you found your problem. FYI, When these breakers blow, you have to turn them off and then back on. If you just turn them on without resetting, they look like they are on but no power.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
BigBlue,

Thanks. Yeah - I know that and I thought I did that - but you have caused me to second guess myself on it - bet I didn't reset properly. Bad Jim!

Hey Jim - consider adding your travel blog link to your sig. Always nice to read your travels and see where you are.

Jim
 

BigBlue

BigBlue
Have done so Jim. If you can't get the URL to work, you can go to Good Sam Web site and look for the MyTripJournal and search for our last name Heinen
 
Gfi

I had a problem sorta like that, The dealer worked foe quite awhile till they found a loose wirenut in a junction box. it burned the wire nut and the wires came apart. No power till they put a new wire nut on. Now it works great.
 
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