Now I know bathroom and kitchen 120 VAC are on same GFI circuit.

SailorDon

Well-known member
I plugged in my battery charger for my electric drill using the 120 VAC outlet on the side of the kitchen sink counter by the entry door.
I've used this outlet many times for many 120 VAC appliances and accessories with no problem for the past 5 years, but yesterday there was no power.:(
The outside outlets worked. The outlets by the night tables alongside the bed worked. The entertainment center outlet worked.
But the outlet with GFI in the bathroom did not work.
I pressed the GFI reset and the bathroom outlet worked.
I checked the kitchen outlet again and now it worked.

The question is, why is the unlabeled kitchen outlet (non-GFI) on the same GFI circuit as the bathroom GFI outlet (complete with reset buttons)?
I'm not very well educated when it comes to things like GFI circuits, but it seems strange to me that a 120 VAC outlet should be hooked up to a GFI circuit that is
protected by a GFI outlet in a different room?
I wasted a lot of time flipping circuit breaker switches before discovering the GFI fault.
And there was no reason for the GFI outlet to trip.

I will know better next time to check the bathroom GFI outlet before wasting time checking circuit breakers.
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
If your sink is in the island near the plug, it is a building code that it must be protected by a GFCI plug.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
A GFI is there to protect in areas of "wet locations". That would include outside, basement, garage, bath and as Jay mentioned some kitchen locations.

Peace
Dave
 
It is called Daisy Chain. Outlets wired after GFI are then protected. Cost factor also it is legal to do.Most homes the kitchen outlets are protected by one GFI. First outlet coming in from the feed.
 

SailorDon

Well-known member
The kitchen sink is on the island (or countertop) that has the unlabeled GFI 120 VAC outlet. To meet code, that kitchen outlet must be protected by a GFI circuit.

My question now is why didn't Heartland provide a separate 120 VAC circuit for the kitchen with its own GFI separate from the bathroom?
I guess I am just a dumb travel trailer owner, but I have never seen a house where the kitchen GFI outlets are on the same circuit as the bathroom GFI's.
Houses have separate circuit breakers and separate GFI outlets for kitchen and bathroom.
Perhaps Heartland saved money by using one circuit for both kitchen and bathroom. Thus only one GFI circuit for both.

No problem now that I know what's going on. I'll put a small label on the kitchen 120 VAC outlet that says: "GFI switch in bathroom".
 
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