I wish to replace an old non-GFCI receptacle with the new GFCI receptacle in a switch controlled outlet in my bedroom. The photo shows the bare ground wire connected to the ground screw, the two white neutral wires "backstabbed" into the neutral wire slots, and with the two black hot wires pigtailed together. Also there is a red wire which only occurs on a switch controlled outlet, which is backstabbed into one of the hot wire slots. So which wire goes where on the GFCI? The Leviton instructions that came with the new GFCI receptacle declare that if there are more than two wires inside each of the two Romex cables (four total, excluding the ground wires), to consult an electrician instead.
Electrical – How to install a GFCI receptacle to replace an old non-GFCI receptacle in a switch controlled outlet
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The first problem is that you may be using the wrong cable and breakers. NEC calls for 2 20Amp small appliance circuits in the kitchen, to accomplish this you'll need to switch to 20Amp breakers and #12 wire.
The next problem. You'll have to pull new wire anyway, if you want to hook up GFCI receptacles. GFCI receptacles will not work properly with a shared neutral, you'll end up with nuisance tripping with a shared neutral. GFCI receptacles work by monitoring the balance between hot and neutral, so if the neutral is shared the GFCI will not work properly.
To wire up the kitchen properly, you'll have to pull 2 new 12/2 cables from the breaker to the kitchen (all #14 wire on that circuit will have to be replaced). Then install 2 20Amp breakers, to supply the kitchen. You'll install the GFCI's as the first receptacle on each circuit, which will protect all downstream receptacles.
You can share a neutral between 2 GFCI receptacles. The catch is you'll have to pigtail the neutral to the receptacles, not use the neutral from the load side of the first GFCI to feed the second.
So you should be able to do something like this...
But not like this...
You'll then be able to use the load side of each receptacle to feed other devices, like this.
Depending on the device, it should go something like this.
Wiring the device in this way, should allow the switch to control the receptacle. The switch will also control anything connected to the Load terminals, and the Load terminals will be GFCI protected.
NOTE: For outdoor installations, don't forget the in-use weatherproof cover.
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Best Answer
If the box is being fed by a three wire cable (black, red, white, ground), and a two wire cable is going from the box to other outlets. Here's what you have to do...
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