Any electricians here?

3,043 Views | 17 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by Bulldawg1
dawgpostsucks
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1. The Cooper GFCI outlet on my home's front porch had an orange (i.e., tripped or "end of life") status indicator light, its TEST button wouldn't push in, and it no longer provided electricity to devices. I believe it's connected to the (non-GFCI) back porch outlet as it also isn't providing electricity to devices. Fwiw, I went through the house and successfully pushed in the TEST / RESET buttons on the other GFCI outlets (one in the kitchen, two in the master bedroom bathroom, one near an upstairs bathroom sink), but it didn't resolve anything.

I then went to Home Depot, spoke w/ an electrician, and he recommended I replace the existing outlet with a LEVITON GFWT1-KW GFCI Outlet. When I got home I installed it (putting the wires in the same places as the previous outlet) and its status indicator light is green, but the TEST button won't push in nor does the outlet provide electricity to devices. When I pushed in the TEST / RESET buttons on the other GFCI outlets, it didn't help. Thus the front and back porch outlets aren't working correctly.

2. In my downstairs basement hallway the Cooper Model # 032664309106 three-way light switch at the foot of the stairs won't turn on or off the light at the top of the stairs. If I turn the light switch on at the top of the stairs, then I can't turn it off when I'm downstairs. Fwiw, sometimes the light briefly flickers if I try to turn it off from the downstairs switch.
Dirteater Dawg
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I am not trying to be polarizing but it will be shocking if we don't.
StalkinDawg
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You've probably got a short in one or both of the outlets downstream of the gfi. Replace them both and see if your able to reset the gfi which in turn should give you power to all three outlets
I'm too ugly or something
Bulldawg1
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I'd check with Kirby - the atmosphere around Sanford is electric, and Monken's offense has really flipped the switch.
Gasdawg
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Ohm-y gosh. Enough with the puns. It hertz my brain.
StalkinDawg
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Watts a pun?
I'm too ugly or something
PaulWesterdawg
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Guys enough puns. He has a problem with his Porch so he went to The Porch to solve it.

It makes sense. I volt that we try and help him get connected to solutions and shed some light on his issues.
Dirteater Dawg
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PaulWesterdawg said:

Guys enough puns. He has a problem with his Porch so he went to The Porch to solve it.

It makes sense. I volt that we try and help him get connected to solutions and shed some light on his issues.


Don't blow your fuse and be negative. I'm just trying to be positive but maybe I'm wired too much and need to switch to a lighter coffee
Lamar
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I'm certainly no electrician AFD but I proffer the following as your problem...

Your Cooper GFCI, woke by the current goings on, no longer identifies as an outlet.

Have you checked to see if it is missing any parts?

Hope this helps, and the root cause of your conundrum is illuminated.

Be careful monkeying around with power. I've heard getting shocked hertz.

Lastly, try mounting it to a tree. Tree pronged outlets seem to work the best.
ahurst344
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Enough puns. Now back to bashing the Braves.
Gasdawg
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Lamar said:

I'm certainly no electrician AFD but I proffer the following as your problem...

Your Cooper GFCI, woke by the current goings on, no longer identifies as an outlet.

Have you checked to see if it is missing any parts?

Hope this helps, and the root cause of your conundrum is illuminated.

Be careful monkeying around with power. I've heard getting shocked hertz.

Lastly, try mounting it to a tree. Tree pronged outlets seem to work the best.


You think it switched from AC to DC?
StalkinDawg
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What pronouns do you use for a gfi that's actually AC but identifies as DC?
I'm too ugly or something
Lamar
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Gasdawg said:

Lamar said:

I'm certainly no electrician AFD but I proffer the following as your problem...

Your Cooper GFCI, woke by the current goings on, no longer identifies as an outlet.

Have you checked to see if it is missing any parts?

Hope this helps, and the root cause of your conundrum is illuminated.

Be careful monkeying around with power. I've heard getting shocked hertz.

Lastly, try mounting it to a tree. Tree pronged outlets seem to work the best.


You think it switched from AC to DC?
Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised Gasdawg after reading the other thread.

Not too much shocks this ol' Dawg any more.
dawgpostsucks
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Update:

A Master Electrician stopped by around 11:45 a.m. and was here for an hour. He said the original Cooper GFCI outlet died and tripped the back porch outlet.

He also said the Leviton GFCI Outlet I bought from Home Depot was bad since its TEST/RESET buttons didn't work. So he replaced it with another Leviton switch and that fixed the issues with the front and back porch outlets.

As for the downstairs hallway, the electrician said the problem was a faulty switch at the top of the stairs. He replaced that and now the three-way switch at the bottom of the stairs works.

Bottomline is it cost me $160 for parts ( a new Leviton GFCI outlet and Cooper three-way switch) and labor. Don't know if I was gouged or not, but at least everything works now.
Dirtydawgs
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If you plant a light bulb in your garden, does it grow into a power plant?
ahurst344
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Getting a proper electrician or plumber in and out under $200 at this point is probably a win. Especially if they do a good job. That stuff needs to be fixed properly and they are professionals for a reason.
Gasdawg
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If it's more work than the very basic installation type stuff that I can do, I consider it not gouging paying someone if I stay un-electrocuted.
dawgpostsucks
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Gasdawg said:

If it's more work than the very basic installation type stuff that I can do, I consider it not gouging paying someone if I stay un-electrocuted.
Yeah, my Grandma Dorothy's brother was an electrician. Uncle Ralph died doing some work at a school in 1970. His co-worker turned off the wrong electrical panel, Uncle Ralph got shocked, fell off his ladder, hit the ground and died (was 42 yrs. old).
Bulldawg1
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that's awful.
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