# Newly installed GFCI will not reset



## banterer (Jun 1, 2008)

Hello there,

I'm new to your forum.

I am installing two new GFCI outlets in my kitchen and have identified the line and load lines.

I've attached them but can only reset the outlet if I do NOT connect the load terminals. The electrician had all the neutrals in the box tied together with a wirenut with just some pig tails that were capped off.

Can someone tell me if in addition to separating the line and load hots if all of the neutrals [loads and line] under one nut are causing the trouble? IOW do I have to separate the bundle into line and load for the GFCI to be happy?

Thanks,
Jorge


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## banterer (Jun 2, 2008)

I have a kitchen counter in which there are two circuits coming from the breaker panel. They come into a two gang box and from there they feed the rest of the counter. What is coming in is three wires:

    * One hot wire (red) from breaker 1
    * one black wire (hot) from breaker 3
    * one white neutral wire from breaker 1 or 3, I did not check but it is from the same bx cable.


The same corresponding wires are leaving to feed the rest of the counter - red, black, white and green.
If you cannot share neutrals, how are you supposed to wire this up?

Thanks,
Jorge

PS. The work was done by licensed electricians but some of their work I cannot figure out.


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## glennjanie (Jun 2, 2008)

Welcome Banterer:
Comon comons (same white wire for 2 circuts) are acceptable. Your problem is one of the receptacles downstream from the GFCI is wired wrong. A small, plug-in recptacle tester is not very much money and will tell you right away which of them is wired wrong.
Hang in there Sherlock, your answer is just around the corner.
Glenn


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## kok328 (Jun 2, 2008)

You can share a neutral as long as it is shared by two hots on separate legs.  You may have some miswiring downstream of the GFI (as glennhanie indicates) or you have something plugged in that is causing an imbalance on the line.  This imbalance could be caused by the improper usage of a shared neutral.


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## BimmerJon (Jun 2, 2008)

Yup, one of the outlets downstream, disconnect and reattach one by one to check.

Or use the plug thingie


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## JoeD (Jun 2, 2008)

The load terminals must contain both the hot and neutral wires for the downstream receptacles. You can not interconnect the line and load neutrals or the neutral from any other circuits including MWBC on the load side of a GFCI.


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## triple D (Jun 3, 2008)

What is happening is you can not have any loads out of this devise when kit plugs are on split wire. You must tail down all whites and hook to line at each gfi. Then at every other gfi put both blk wires under line screw, and at every other put red wires under line screw. And of course in boxes not using other color, wire nut it to pass it through. I hope this is understandable to you, and also if your looking to buy more than 5 ggi plugs, a two pull gfi breaker will go in place of 1 and 3 then you wouldnt have to touch any plugs. Good luck......


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