My husband recently passed away and I am left trying to figure out things that he always took care of. Yesterday the GFCI in the garage quit working, as well as two other outlets. My first thought was to call an electrician, but I remembered how easy it appeared to be when my husband had to change them. Turned off the power and tested the outlet with his tester. Got onto youtube to see how to change it. Went through three other videos before I found yours. I love how you explain things rather than just assuming we know what you are talking about. A good example is explaining what "Load" and "Line" mean. Now I understand why two other outlets in the garage quit working as well. Thank you so much for making this easy to understand and for taking the time to explain it as you go, and not just telling us what to do. You are much appreciated and you now have another subscriber.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I am glad that you are learning how to do the repairs. Saves so much money. I try to show my wife how to do stuff just in case I pass one day.
One of the greatest TH-cam videos I’ve ever seen, hands down. I wish there was a way to filter TH-cam to only contain good content like this. Thanks for your service and for saving me a few hundred dollars on an electrician.
You just saved me a grand man. I was using a electric smoker and then after the 5th hour, both outlets from the outside went out. So, I saw your video, went to the kitchen and boom, there was the problem. May God continue to Bless you and your family. Keep teaching Us brother. As a Puerto Rican that just recently bought a house and having NO clue on how to do stuff (No Father figure whatsoever), finding your channel was a blessing to me and my family. Once again, God Bless bud 🙏🏽🤟🏽
A message can be delivered in a hundred ways, but you found the one perfect way to say it. I can't express how many hours I spent trying to figure it out; none of the other videos helped. You have my respect and subscription. Keep up the great work!
I still cannot not watch your vids when I got the time. You give such clear and concise info everytime and the way you laid those outlets out is no doubt priceless for those braving the world of electricity. Incredible work. Thank you.
Simple, to the point and no bull shit. Great video. Also thank you for not filling your videos with extra non important stuff just to hit that 10 minute mark.
You are The Goat!! My problem was when I put the new GFCI in (the old one was 12 years and broke) I switched the line and load but after watching and learning from you I reversed them properly and it's perfect now. Thank you
I feel confident in saying, your channel is definitely the best for diy without the nonsense. How is the ceramic coating holding up on the tractor? Love that stuff.
That is really nice of you to say. I am going to be do an update video on the coating on the Tacoma this week. I have not washed it one time since applying it and it is always parked outside too. I think you will be interested to see how it did
@@SilverCymbal the oil extractor has been a handy tool. My next chore is the tankless heater. Keep making the videos and I’ll keep leaving comments and 👍.
Want to thank you. It is me, myself and I that was doing this. I matched for match when swapping. And I had to turn off all the power to the house, because this one set could never tell which breaker. What your video told me is the new GFCI had switched load and line and being new at this I had no idea. In addition there were two outlets down the line. I did purchase a transmitter and Klein tool to see which breaker but that only works if it is actually working. That will be for afterwards. Thank you for this. In our area, there is so much building electricians never call residential people back.
Bought a brand new house two months ago, one of my outlets went out shortly after closing. Thanks for the video, was able to replace it with zero issues!
Thank you for the informative video. After watching numerous videos that did not define GFCI, focused not on the outlet, etc. but on the guy(s) attempting to share information, this video nailed it. Well done, Silver Cymbal.
Well done, thanks. Excellent lighting, camera work, illustration and narrative. Every DIY guy/gal needs a circuit tester on hand to verify the line isn’t hot. They’re relatively cheap and increases the safety for people with no training and limited experience…. like me.
Thank you my brother! Just got through installing one in my Mother's bathroom. My phone wouldn't even read the QR CODE on the (instructions) for me to watch the manufacturers video. But thanks to YOU and YOUR VIDEO I was able to do this myself! Thank you!
This video seems to be the best GFCI replacement video. I understand this one much better than the other ones. I did have to watch it a few times. Look at sea, the line in the line of fire up CFI can’t say it.
My home's garage GFCI has been in operation for almost 40 years compared to the one mentioned in this video which only lasted 15. Good job, Silver Cymbal.
Just replaced a GFCI today after watching your video. Especially helpful was the Line/Load information. The new outlet I installed had them at opposite ends from the bad one I was replacing. Not sure I would have looked closely enough at which end was which unless I had viewed this explanation. Thanks!
A big thank you! I replaced my GFCI outlet and it was not working. Until you mentioned to pay attention to the load terminals and the line terminals, that is when I double checked and sure enough my lines were not installed properly. Thanks again!!!
Always check with a multy meter that the circuit is dead before touching the wires, especially if there are 4 wires present. You might have a outlet with each of the hot legs present for high load sharing. If you only test with the light in the top socket, the bottom may still be live.
Or worse. Older homes may not have used the required two-pole breaker on a three wire circuit. My house was built on 1984 and didn't use them. If that is the case and you only turn off 1 of the breakers then the grounded conductor (white) will be hot and that will surprise the hell out of you.
@@williamrucki9293 yes especially on "dishwasher" "disposal" circuits. They are always linked in older houses. Need to kill them both quite often to be clear of voltage.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this video. I'm trying to troubleshoot GCFI outlet. When I open the outlet, power LINE wire does not have any power and I also checked circuit breaker and other GFCI outlets; none of them tripped. Do you think it's faulty GFCI?
You solved my problem. Why in the world would there not be a standard Line/Load configuration as an industry standard? A quick listen tyo your video lit the proverbial light bulb over my head and I found the issue exactly as you noted. Thanks much.
Thank you. My outlet appeared to be working in every way, even the green LED. Except, no power, not power down the line and it wouldn't Reset. You were right, the old one was the bottom and the new one was the top. Rewired it and now I'm gtg. Thanks again.
I was taught to always connect ground first. That way if something goes wrong it’s grounded for safety. The rule is to disconnect ground last when removing a device and connect ground first when adding a device. Done this way is safest.
I agree 100%. In fact, with these types of "devices" it is often easier to disconnect the ground last, and reconnect it first - almost as if someone thought about it when they designed it (almost).
Currently have this actual problem in both my bathrooms. Changed the GCI plugs to the same Leviton GFCI outlets that you used. Problem though, they we're not energizing. thinking that the circuit breaker went bad, so i switched the breaker as well. But alas, still not energizing. I''m usually handy, but in this instance, i'm proving that i'm not that handy...
Completed installation of gfci. Have green light on plug meaning correct connections. Plugged in lamp which i had on in other room. Turned on power panel and no lighting result. Pressed reset and no lighting. What is wrong. Other plugs not working either.
I'm in a condo building so I don't have easy access to the main power switch to shut the electric off. Will just flipping the breaker off allow me to replace the outlets I need to without shutting the entire power off?
@@timberecek9477 there was something in the way that was touching the gfci so it wouldn’t work. Cleaned out what was touching it and it worked like a charm, hope that helps
When installing a new gfci - compare old to new gfci for my new gfci - the Load and Line Positions switched so the black wires on brass screws and white wires on silver screws change from top to bottom - Have a tester to tell which lines are Hot - power on. Thanks for your video!
And the last thing to do before you put it back in the box is to wrap electrical tape around it to cover the crews. Not all boxes are plastic and it will protect it in case it were to come in contact with the metal box. Plus it just a great safety measure to take on outlets and switches.Ask any licensed electrician or watch a licensed electrician when he installs switches or outlets.
What if you have a bad GFCI outlet but you're not even sure that that outlet is the first one in the circuit? I assume you'd want your GFCI outlet to be the first one in the chain, which would protect all the others. How can you tell 1) whether the outlet in question is actually the first in the circuit, and 2) which outlets are even in that same circuit (since sometimes, I believe, a circuit can include outlets in more than a single room, so the outlets in, say, your kitchen might not all even be on the same circuit)?
amazing, line/load very hard to see in the back because people that make these things, they decided to make the same color, white or black just to cut cost. LINE IN, LINE OUT is better way to put it common. Obviously, they don't want people to fix their own house.
How about replacing a non-GFCI outlet with a GFCI outlet, in an old home? Is there any reason why the procedure in this video wouldn't be suitable for that too?
Yes, the procedure would be the same. If it's just a single outlet then it is easy and just connect to the line terminals as shown. If its at the start of a circuit as this one was then any outlets downstream would also receive gfci protection. The tester can also confirm everything when done too.
Actually answered a few things i wondered about. Dont forget that with some homes (Likely Older models) the breaker can serve as the GFCI in some places instead of an actual outlet. Also, DO NOT GFCI TEST a Regular outlet, you'll blow the outlet and have to replace it. with that said, it is a Good idea to replace old outlets/switches at some point though as it can solve a number of potential issues.
That is completely false. You will not blow an outlet by using a GFCI tester. Do you know what a GFCI tester does? It takes 5 mA of neutral current and applies it to the ground. That's it. Won't do anything else. Completely fine to do it on any outlet. Also, GFCI breakers are more common on newer homes than older homes, so that is another thing inaccurate about your post. I'm sorry if you don't know what you are talking about you shouldn't be giving electrical advice.
Not for feeding receptacles, if you put receptacles that are downstream in the second line position, they will have NO gfci protection. You don't want to do that.
My husband recently passed away and I am left trying to figure out things that he always took care of. Yesterday the GFCI in the garage quit working, as well as two other outlets. My first thought was to call an electrician, but I remembered how easy it appeared to be when my husband had to change them. Turned off the power and tested the outlet with his tester. Got onto youtube to see how to change it. Went through three other videos before I found yours. I love how you explain things rather than just assuming we know what you are talking about. A good example is explaining what "Load" and "Line" mean. Now I understand why two other outlets in the garage quit working as well. Thank you so much for making this easy to understand and for taking the time to explain it as you go, and not just telling us what to do. You are much appreciated and you now have another subscriber.
@SailorGal7453 I’m having the same issue! Did you replace the outlet? Did that fix the issue?
@catheanderson7827 Yes I replaced it and it works great. Just went to Lowes and bought a two pack of them so I will have a spare.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I am glad that you are learning how to do the repairs. Saves so much money. I try to show my wife how to do stuff just in case I pass one day.
Hire licensed electrician. This is a job for professionals only as you can get electrocuted easily.
I’m sorry for your loss he is most definitely looking over you ❤
One of the greatest TH-cam videos I’ve ever seen, hands down. I wish there was a way to filter TH-cam to only contain good content like this. Thanks for your service and for saving me a few hundred dollars on an electrician.
You just saved me a grand man. I was using a electric smoker and then after the 5th hour, both outlets from the outside went out. So, I saw your video, went to the kitchen and boom, there was the problem. May God continue to Bless you and your family. Keep teaching Us brother. As a Puerto Rican that just recently bought a house and having NO clue on how to do stuff (No Father figure whatsoever), finding your channel was a blessing to me and my family. Once again, God Bless bud 🙏🏽🤟🏽
Wow, what a nice message, so glad this helped! Thanks for the kind words and you as well my friend.
Lol
It's nice to see you address the line/load, it's amazing how many times I see this done wrong, even by contractors.
A message can be delivered in a hundred ways, but you found the one perfect way to say it. I can't express how many hours I spent trying to figure it out; none of the other videos helped. You have my respect and subscription. Keep up the great work!
I still cannot not watch your vids when I got the time.
You give such clear and concise info everytime and the way you laid those outlets out is no doubt priceless for those braving the world of electricity.
Incredible work. Thank you.
Thanks to your detail instructions, I was able to fix my bathroom outlet.
If a 54 year old woman can do it anybody can.😊
Simple, to the point and no bull shit. Great video.
Also thank you for not filling your videos with extra non important stuff just to hit that 10 minute mark.
Thanks for watching please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE - GFCI Outlet: amzn.to/3kDZbgU Outlet Tester: amzn.to/3lTUMG9
You are The Goat!! My problem was when I put the new GFCI in (the old one was 12 years and broke) I switched the line and load but after watching and learning from you I reversed them properly and it's perfect now. Thank you
Watched several videos on how to replace GFCI outlets and this was easily the clearest, covering all the info crisply. Thanks!!!
excellent! The short wire mock up is very illustrative.
I feel confident in saying, your channel is definitely the best for diy without the nonsense. How is the ceramic coating holding up on the tractor? Love that stuff.
That is really nice of you to say. I am going to be do an update video on the coating on the Tacoma this week. I have not washed it one time since applying it and it is always parked outside too. I think you will be interested to see how it did
@@SilverCymbal the oil extractor has been a handy tool. My next chore is the tankless heater. Keep making the videos and I’ll keep leaving comments and 👍.
Want to thank you. It is me, myself and I that was doing this. I matched for match when swapping. And I had to turn off all the power to the house, because this one set could never tell which breaker. What your video told me is the new GFCI had switched load and line and being new at this I had no idea. In addition there were two outlets down the line. I did purchase a transmitter and Klein tool to see which breaker but that only works if it is actually working. That will be for afterwards. Thank you for this. In our area, there is so much building electricians never call residential people back.
Bought a brand new house two months ago, one of my outlets went out shortly after closing. Thanks for the video, was able to replace it with zero issues!
About half of the outlets in my kitchen are faulty and need to be replaced. Thank you for making this video. Very helpful for a beginner like myself.
Thank you for the informative video. After watching numerous videos that did not define GFCI, focused not on the outlet, etc. but on the guy(s) attempting to share information, this video nailed it. Well done, Silver Cymbal.
Very nice of you to say, much appreciated.
Thank you. This just saved me a bundle in hiring an electrician.
Well done, thanks. Excellent lighting, camera work, illustration and narrative. Every DIY guy/gal needs a circuit tester on hand to verify the line isn’t hot. They’re relatively cheap and increases the safety for people with no training and limited experience…. like me.
Thank you my brother! Just got through installing one in my Mother's bathroom. My phone wouldn't even read the QR CODE on the (instructions) for me to watch the manufacturers video. But thanks to YOU and YOUR VIDEO I was able to do this myself! Thank you!
Great video. Can't believe that load is switched between brands, you saved us a lot of trouble by pointing this out.
Glad to help. I have no idea why they were switched at some point and time. and some brands might be the other way. They should have clearer labeling
This video seems to be the best GFCI replacement video. I understand this one much better than the other ones.
I did have to watch it a few times. Look at sea, the line in the line of fire up CFI can’t say it.
Thank you so much because of your video we were able to save $215. You made it so easy for us❤❤❤❤
Perfect timing! I'm replacing one this weekend. Thanks!!
Thank you. It's my first time swapping one of these out and this video showed me exactly what to do.
I didn’t realize that these gcfi outlets could be opposite. Thank you so much . Everything works now.
My home's garage GFCI has been in operation for almost 40 years compared to the one mentioned in this video which only lasted 15. Good job, Silver Cymbal.
ok BOOMER
@@markmooney8055 It's still working bud
Thank you, recently out on my own and was able to change GFCI outlet in hard to reach spot in 25 minutes total. This helped a ton.
Just replaced a GFCI today after watching your video. Especially helpful was the Line/Load information. The new outlet I installed had them at opposite ends from the bad one I was replacing. Not sure I would have looked closely enough at which end was which unless I had viewed this explanation. Thanks!
Explanation and demonstration very clear and concise. Thank you, well-done.
A big thank you! I replaced my GFCI outlet and it was not working. Until you mentioned to pay attention to the load terminals and the line terminals, that is when I double checked and sure enough my lines were not installed properly. Thanks again!!!
Glad it helped!
Same here. Saved me a bunch of extra headache.
Thanks for the step-by-step instructions. Thanks for including important details.
Cool Thanks solved my problem. You would think that line on top and load on the bottom made sense. But thanks again
Thank you for the easy-to-follow instructions. You have a new follower.
Great use of the gift card at the end of the video! LOL. Great video and explanation!
watched a bunch of videos, this is what i needed, thank you!
Very informative. Easy to understand. Thank you.
this video was extremely helpful. saved us many dollars
Love that green screwdriver and still use it till this day! I bought mine at Sears before they went under
This video explains everything throughly ,nice video . Thank you .
I was able to replace the GFCI outlet in my travel trailer without an electrician. Thanks!
I must say the is the best video for this type of job. Your go in depth and details on how to install. You are the best Man.
Thank A Million 💯
The line side conductors were on the bottom of the old verse the top with the new.
Wonderful observation.
Always check with a multy meter that the circuit is dead before touching the wires, especially if there are 4 wires present. You might have a outlet with each of the hot legs present for high load sharing. If you only test with the light in the top socket, the bottom may still be live.
Or worse. Older homes may not have used the required two-pole breaker on a three wire circuit. My house was built on 1984 and didn't use them. If that is the case and you only turn off 1 of the breakers then the grounded conductor (white) will be hot and that will surprise the hell out of you.
@@williamrucki9293 yes especially on "dishwasher" "disposal" circuits. They are always linked in older houses. Need to kill them both quite often to be clear of voltage.
Thank you so much!! Just changed mine out and we are good!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this video. I'm trying to troubleshoot GCFI outlet. When I open the outlet, power LINE wire does not have any power and I also checked circuit breaker and other GFCI outlets; none of them tripped. Do you think it's faulty GFCI?
Thank you !! Just replaced mine!!
Have a blessed day!
This was electrifying.
Cause the power you're supplying
Teehee hee
clear instructions and well-shot! thanks!
You solved my problem. Why in the world would there not be a standard Line/Load configuration as an industry standard? A quick listen tyo your video lit the proverbial light bulb over my head and I found the issue exactly as you noted. Thanks much.
Thank you. My outlet appeared to be working in every way, even the green LED. Except, no power, not power down the line and it wouldn't Reset. You were right, the old one was the bottom and the new one was the top. Rewired it and now I'm gtg. Thanks again.
Done! Thank you, Silver Cymbal😀
Ooo bonus fix at the end nice
Great video, thanks for saving me 200 bucks
I was taught to always connect ground first. That way if something goes wrong it’s grounded for safety. The rule is to disconnect ground last when removing a device and connect ground first when adding a device. Done this way is safest.
I agree 100%. In fact, with these types of "devices" it is often easier to disconnect the ground last, and reconnect it first - almost as if someone thought about it when they designed it (almost).
Just replaced mine exactly like it should be done and it still is not working. The breaker is also not tripped. Any suggestions
Currently have this actual problem in both my bathrooms. Changed the GCI plugs to the same Leviton GFCI outlets that you used. Problem though, they we're not energizing. thinking that the circuit breaker went bad, so i switched the breaker as well. But alas, still not energizing. I''m usually handy, but in this instance, i'm proving that i'm not that handy...
Completed installation of gfci. Have green light on plug meaning correct connections. Plugged in lamp which i had on in other room. Turned on power panel and no lighting result. Pressed reset and no lighting. What is wrong. Other plugs not working either.
Such a good channel.
I'm in a condo building so I don't have easy access to the main power switch to shut the electric off. Will just flipping the breaker off allow me to replace the outlets I need to without shutting the entire power off?
Good stuff! Thanks for sharing.
Great video straight to the point no bs
Thank you!
Thanks for the informative video.
Thank you! thank you! thank you!!!!!! I was kissing my mind! Thanks a lot!
Thank you, very helpful 👍
Life saver . Thanks stuck for hrs it keeps telling me there's a open hot. Just had to switch the wires to line and hit the reset button.
Do i have to replace the gfci with the same amp as the old one?
Thank you
Perfect 👍
If dealing with a suspected faulty outlet, I recommend always hitting it with a multimeter too.
Just subscribed!
I just bought a new one and put it in the wall and the test isn't working.. did I mess something up? Or does it actually need to be replaced?
Same here!!!
@@timberecek9477 there was something in the way that was touching the gfci so it wouldn’t work. Cleaned out what was touching it and it worked like a charm, hope that helps
When installing a new gfci - compare old to new gfci for my new gfci - the Load and Line Positions switched so the black wires on brass screws and white wires on silver screws change from top to bottom - Have a tester to tell which lines are Hot - power on. Thanks for your video!
i have gfci in my bathroom but the ground wire was not connected.electric tester said open ground.is that ok?
Are these types of outlets common? Because I don’t have a single one of these in my house.
Great job
What if it has to be done with the power still on? For example if it was a house apartment, and the power box was not accessible?
Contact OSHA. They'll know what to do.
Or contact an electrician! 😂
Good job.
And the last thing to do before you put it back in the box is to wrap electrical tape around it to cover the crews. Not all boxes are plastic and it will protect it in case it were to come in contact with the metal box. Plus it just a great safety measure to take on outlets and switches.Ask any licensed electrician or watch a licensed electrician when he installs switches or outlets.
"Belt-and-suspenders" - especially around electricity ;-)
What should be wrapped? And if I turn off the electricity to the whole house, I can't get shocked, right?
how do you know if you have a 20 amp or a 15 amp outlet
My outdoor gfci outlet has the green light on but it’s not generating any power…any solutions to this?
LINE LOAD reversed
What if the light is green but still does not power anything?
Smart
What if you have a bad GFCI outlet but you're not even sure that that outlet is the first one in the circuit? I assume you'd want your GFCI outlet to be the first one in the chain, which would protect all the others. How can you tell 1) whether the outlet in question is actually the first in the circuit, and 2) which outlets are even in that same circuit (since sometimes, I believe, a circuit can include outlets in more than a single room, so the outlets in, say, your kitchen might not all even be on the same circuit)?
I dont have a tester can i just shut off the whole main breaker??
My cover plate only has one screw. What do I do in that situation?
What happens if you install Gavin outlet wrong and turn on the power breaker
amazing, line/load very hard to see in the back because people that make these things, they decided to make the same color, white or black just to cut cost. LINE IN, LINE OUT is better way to put it common. Obviously, they don't want people to fix their own house.
Why would the line and load feeds on the same level? That would obviously make things too easy
Pro Tip " always instal ground wire first" 👍
Be sure the replacement is the same rating as the existing one (15 or 20 amps).
My small button to the outlet popped off. I can't locate it. I want to buy another button, what is it called?
How about replacing a non-GFCI outlet with a GFCI outlet, in an old home? Is there any reason why the procedure in this video wouldn't be suitable for that too?
Yes, the procedure would be the same. If it's just a single outlet then it is easy and just connect to the line terminals as shown. If its at the start of a circuit as this one was then any outlets downstream would also receive gfci protection. The tester can also confirm everything when done too.
We did all that and it still won't work, brand new outlet 😢
Same here, maybe I have a dead GFCI out of the box ?
I tried switching the wires just in case and still nothing.
Actually answered a few things i wondered about.
Dont forget that with some homes (Likely Older models) the breaker can serve as the GFCI in some places instead of an actual outlet.
Also, DO NOT GFCI TEST a Regular outlet, you'll blow the outlet and have to replace it. with that said, it is a Good idea to replace old outlets/switches at some point though as it can solve a number of potential issues.
That is completely false. You will not blow an outlet by using a GFCI tester. Do you know what a GFCI tester does? It takes 5 mA of neutral current and applies it to the ground. That's it. Won't do anything else. Completely fine to do it on any outlet. Also, GFCI breakers are more common on newer homes than older homes, so that is another thing inaccurate about your post. I'm sorry if you don't know what you are talking about you shouldn't be giving electrical advice.
Double up on the line, that's why there's two slots in the line screw conmector
Not for feeding receptacles, if you put receptacles that are downstream in the second line position, they will have NO gfci protection. You don't want to do that.
Where does the red wire go
Do NOT use a light to test if there is power. Use a volt meter. The outlet could be broken but the wires still hot.....