I am replacing all the components in my bathroom during a remodel. I have a box that has a light switch and a GFCI, the switch controls the vanity light. When i removed the old fixture I neglected to note how everything was hooked up.
Everything seems to be hooked up properly, the switch controls the fixture with no problems, but the GFCI won't reset it stays tripped.
Any ideas?
The box for the switch and GFCI seemed straight forward, two sets of 3 wires, 1 black, 1 white and 1 ground. One set for the switch and one set for the GFCI. The box for the light fixture has 2 black and 2 white wires. One black wire is loose, the other is attached to a black wire that goes into the wall and this connection is wrapped in uninsulated copper wire.
I also have 2 white wires. So, I attached the black wire to the black wire on the fixture, and both white wires to the white wire on the fixture and the ground wire from the fixture to the green screw on the mounting harness.
What I get is what I mentioned before, the switch turns the light on and off, but the GFCI trips right away.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
here's the best i can do to diagram the situation. there are walls in place so I'm trying to give as much info as possible
Best Answer
When wiring with cable, and the feed is coming to the light, the standard is to feed a single pole with the white wire (the code requires this) and return with the black wire.
If you connect the white wire to the other white wires at the light fixture you create a dead short when the switch is closed this would trip the GFCI if you are downstream from it. Check that the conductors for the switch are not dead shorting the circuit.
A picture or diagram of your particular situation might help if the previous tip doesn't.
Good luck!