Mikey
Aspiring Old Fart, EE, computer & networking geek
While working around a receptacle outlet yesterday, I was rewarded with a loud POP when a hot terminal brushed the (steel) box. The screw head was slightly vaporized, with a matching pockmark in the box. The main 20A breaker tripped. Problem is, this was a downstream receptacle from an upstream GFCI, and the GFCI did not trip. I reset the main breaker, pressed the GFCI's TEST button, it tripped, and both it and its downstream receptacles went dead. It's a 2-month-old P&S GFCI made in (gulp!) China. The wiring all checks OK, and a 3-light tester shows all receptacles wired properly.
If I had been naked, standing in a bathtub full of water, and grabbed that receptacle hot side, I'd probably be dead. Is there any other explanation of what went wrong other than a failed GFCI? If it's bad, why does it test OK? These things are supposed to trip at 6ma within 25ms. I'm going to make up a GFCI tester I can plug in to test downstream receptacles individually and will post the results.
If I had been naked, standing in a bathtub full of water, and grabbed that receptacle hot side, I'd probably be dead. Is there any other explanation of what went wrong other than a failed GFCI? If it's bad, why does it test OK? These things are supposed to trip at 6ma within 25ms. I'm going to make up a GFCI tester I can plug in to test downstream receptacles individually and will post the results.