I saw some awesome conversation on this site that is very similar to my dilemma. Unfortunately, I have not found the root cause of my problem. Trying to wire in a GFCI outlet in bathroom. 6 wires. Identified the line and load circuits. When trip C/B in sub panel, I also lose power to 2 bedrooms, the switch in bathroom for lights, and the overhead fluorescent light in kitchen. Wall in bath is shared with kitchen. Hook up GFCI with just the line wires and GFCI works as it should. Hook up the load wires and nothing, outlet trips when hitting RESET. After finding this site with StingyB's similar problem, I did some investigation but don't have any GFCI's in those other rooms. Do I maybe have an outlet wired wrong in one of the other rooms?
GFCI outlet dilemma
gfci
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Based on your description, you cannot do what you want unless you run additional conductors.
It sounds like all you have in the box is a switch loop. Meaning you have a wire coming "from" the fan, and a wire returning "to" the fan. The wire "from" the fan will be electrified, while the other wire will only be electrified when it's connected to the electrified wire through the switch.
In a setup like this there's no neutral in the box, so you can't install a receptacle. If you replaced the cable between the fan and the switch, you could use a cable with an extra wire. That would allow you to included the required neutral.
GFCI devices work by comparing the current incoming on the hot wire to the current leaving on the neutral wire. If there's a difference, it means electricity is leaving the circuit somehow (a "ground fault") and the GFCI cuts power*. The GFCI doesn't do anything with the ground conductor—in fact, you don't even need to have one at all. One way of upgrading a 2-prong outlet (without ground) to a 3-prong outlet is by inserting a GFCI device upstream or using a GFCI outlet.
So I'm guessing there is a small amount of current in your scenario, and when you touch the white and ground together, some of that current goes into the ground and doesn't return through the GFCI neutral. Do any of you lights have timers, nightlight, etc.?
(BTW I'm not sure it matters for this question but your description of how the wires up is a little confusing to me. LINE and LOAD are opposite sides of the GFCI device, but you use them interchangeably. If you want a downstream device to be protected by the GFCI it must be connected to the LOAD side. Anything on the LINE side is considered upstream and is unaffected by the GFCI.)
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Best Answer
Noting how you speak about Line and Load, it's clear that you have identified some of the wires as Line wires. Ok so far. However it appears that you are identifying all other wires as Load wires. that is not true. Granted, many GFCI instruction sheets mislead you in this area.
Actually all the wires are LINE wires, and all of them should be attached to the LINE terminals. The warning tape should be left on the LOAD terminals.
The only time you should attach to the Load terminals is when have identified a specific load that you actually want protected by GFCI, and where you have reasons for wanting to do that.