Replacing the first outlet in a line with a GFCI

[NTP66]

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this, so I'm hoping that somebody else here has run into this. The receptacle that is going to be used on my new saltwater tank is the first in a line of 3 or 4 other outlets in my living room. I plan on replacing this outlet with a GFCI, and then wiring the next downstream outlet using the LINE side, leaving LOAD empty (see diagram below). From that next outlet, I plan on making no changes. Is this correct?

Another question: If there is a standard receptacle before the GFCI in the diagram, would I still be able to wire everything this way (using the load from the first receptacle, and then following the diagram)?

Edit: I have no idea why the uploaded diagram isn't showing, so here we go:

 

[Dave Thebrewguy]

You can replace any receptacle, anywhere in the circuit, with a GFI. DO NOT put the load and line wires under the same screw, wirenut them together, along with a pigtail to the GFI.

 

[dan-in-gr]

Hi, if you really must have a GFI for your tank, please do yourself a favor and buy a higher quality one. Many of the regular GFI's can/will kick your stuff off. When I had my 180 tank with 4 metal halides and a 1/3hp chiller when chiller kicked on, occasionally it was too much for circuit, I reduced the load and put chiller on a different circuit, but still had problem when both sets of metal halides turned on. I put a regular outlet in - problem solved. Its no fun to come home from work and find out your setup has been off for a few hours due to a GFI making decisions, even thru there is not a problem. Now if you have a light load tank with T5's and no chiller go for it.

 

[jerpa]

I would much prefer GFCI protection over any inconveniences it may cause. It absolutely can save your life. I agree with buying high quality receptacles. You can wire it as the diagram shows without having any effect on the outlets before or after the receptacle.

 

[cephalotus]

Why would you not hook it up the correct way? The load from the GFCI should run to the line of the next outlet.

 

[cephalotus]

I understand that will be the only outlet that will be tripped but I use more than one outlet for my tanks and is convenient to have the hole room GFCI protected

 

[NTP66]

You can replace any receptacle, anywhere in the circuit, with a GFI. DO NOT put the load and line wires under the same screw, wirenut them together, along with a pigtail to the GFI.

Forgive my ignorance here, but I'm a little confused about your statement on the load/line wires. I assume that you mean to pigtail the lines going into the new GFCI (see below)?

 

[NTP66]

I understand that will be the only outlet that will be tripped but I use more than one outlet for my tanks and is convenient to have the hole room GFCI protected

I'm just trying to prevent anything from my home theater tripping the tank, because the downstream outlets are used for my TV, TiVo, PS3, etc.

 

[NTP66]

After doing a little more investigating, I found that the outlet I plan on using is actually on a totally different circuit, and is at the end of the series... d'oh! Good for me, because now the wiring is a piece of cake, but I almost feel bad for wasting everyone's time.

Still, for my own personal knowledge, I would still like to figure out my original plan for wiring. There may come a time where I actually have to do this somewhere else for another reason.

 

[cephalotus]

I'm just trying to prevent anything from my home theater tripping the tank, because the downstream outlets are used for my TV, TiVo, PS3, etc.

Gotcha, Makes sense. I sometimes forget not everybody is insane and has a dedicated room.

 

[cyberdude47]

When wiring GFCI circuits. The line terminals are in fact the input per say to the GFCI circuit the load is the output (ground fault protected circuit) if you connect the line and load together you will have no protection as you are bypassing the protection. If you connect the receptacles downstream on the line they remain as original and if you connect them in the load they will be protected under the GFCI that you just installed. By buying a higher quality GFCI does not offer and higher form of protection as the way a GFCI circuit works is by monitoring current between the hot (black or phase conductor) an the neutral ( white or zero potential conductor) and is set to trip at 0.0007 of an amp as it is only 0.0005 amps that has an ability to interrupt the electrical impulses of your cardiac system. There are other GFCI systems available (lower amperage setting) but only in a breaker form and they are for protecting sensitive equipment not life saftey so DO NOT use one of these systems. Only use appropriately approved devices in canada ere or standards are ULC, CSA, UL. In the US I'm not sure who the underwriters are. The reason for mystery trips with some ballasts such as workhorse ballasts are current leakage. It's quite common and there has been some ppl out there that state that some brands if GFCI's are less/more sensitive to this so it's trial and error if you want to play the game and purchase two-three devices to find one that will function in your application. Hope this explains something

 

[Dave Thebrewguy]

Forgive my ignorance here, but I'm a little confused about your statement on the load/line wires. I assume that you mean to pigtail the lines going into the new GFCI (see below)?

Correct. Electrically this is the same as your first schematic, just wanted to point out the safe way to make the connections.

 

[NTP66]

Great, thanks to all for the help. I've got to do some math to see if this is going to work out on one circuit, otherwise it could be a pain in the rear to add an additional outlet; the wall that this tank is in front of happens to be an AC return area, so it's pretty much all sealed up. I can get to the cavity from the basement pretty easily, but I'm not sure that it'd be a smart idea running an outlet through there.

 

[cyberdude47]

One thing you might want to look into though in terms of electrical code,as an example here in canada it's not permitted to use the receptacles terminals as a pass through (piggyback) connection. That means each connection for a receptacle must be pigtailed inside the enclosure and have independent set of conductors and connection rather than utilize the set of terminals screws for an input and the other terminals for the output. This may be allowed in the US but its worth looking into as its statistically proven to be a hazard and start electrical fires if the terminations aren't properly secured to the terminal screws and even more so at risk if one is using the push in terminals on the back of the receptacle. Just stating this as in the diagram it shows the first pigtail then pass through there after

 

[NTP66]

Yeah, the drawing was just something that I did in a rush this morning, so it's not as detailed as others I've seen on here. I do follow all electrical codes in our area, because this is something that I would never want to take a risk on - especially with a little one on the way.