gfci
Trying to wire GFCI and a protected receptacle into the same box for 4 outlet set up. When I wire protected receptacle to LOAD side and connect it to the ground, the GFCI test fails. If I disconnect ground to protected receptacle, GFCI tests OK but protected receptacle tests “open ground”.
What am I doing wrong?
With the wiring disconnected, you should not get a reading on the multimeter. If you do, it means you have a short-circuit between that set of wires. Repeat this process on the new receptacle, touching one probe to the green ground terminal and the other to each the brass and silver terminals. Again, no combination should give a reading.
It may be possible that the circuit is just too long, and the resistance in the conductors themselves are causing the imbalance. Try connecting the new receptacle to the previous receptacle temporarily, using short pigtails (CAUTION: Working on energized circuits is dangerous.). Turn on the power, and try to set the GFCI. Make sure nobody is near the exposed receptacles, and don't touch, or get near them while the power is on.
If the GFCI holds, there is a fault in the wiring to the new receptacle or the circuit may simply be too long.
Warning: I haven't done any calculations, research, or testing on this theory, so it could be completely false. It's just a thought, but it's fairly easy for you to test.
According to the documentation for the Two-Pole QO®/QOB Circuit Breaker and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
NOTE: To minimize nuisance tripping:...
- Do not connect circuit breaker to more than 250 ft. (76 m) of load conductor for the total one-way run
GFCI receptacles can only be reset when the power is on. So if you're trying to reset it with the power off, you won't have any luck.
GFCI devices work by measuring the current flowing on the ungrounded (hot), and grounded (neutral) conductors. They do this by running both the conductors through a current transformer (CT), which produces a current on the secondary winding whenever there's a difference in current between the two primary conductors. So as long as both the ungrounded and grounded conductors are carrying the same current, there will be no current on the secondary of the CT. If there was a ground-fault, the current on the conductors would be different and a current would be induced on the secondary of the CT.
If there's no current flowing on the circuit conductors, then there's no way to induce a current on the secondary of the CT. Therefore, there's no way to trip the GFCI. So if you've removed the fixture, the GFCI should not trip.
If this diagram is accurate...
The only way the GFCI could trip, is if current was being introduced somewhere. Like if one of the conductors was shorted with a conductor from another circuit, or a different part of this circuit.
There has to be more to this situation, than the information you've provided. Simple explanations might include:
Since you say that removing the white (grounded (neutral)) conductor from the LOAD terminal fixes the problem, I'd guess that the problem lies with that conductor.
If you have a really accurate ammeter, you could clamp it on the white wire and see if there's any current on it. To do this, you'll have to connect the wire to the line terminal (as you described in a comment). You'll only do this temperately, while you're taking the reading.
Alternatively, you could trace the wire and look for damage, or interconnection with other wires.
Best Answer
The hot line side needs to have the black wire to the brass screw on the line connector side. The white wire from the same cable that the black came from goes to the silver line side. The load side to your outlets black to brass and white to silver and the bare coppers tied together and attached to the GFCI and outlet ground screws usually green in color. I believe you have swapped your White neutral from line to load and that will cause the problem you describe.