Took me 6 hours to figure out a faulty GFCI on a kitchen remodel last Tuesday

I kept tripping the breaker every time I plugged in the dishwasher and it turned out the neutral wire was barely touching the terminal screw, but I only found it after I finally pulled the outlet and looked close with a flashlight, has anyone else spent way too long tracking down something that simple?

2 comments

2 Comments

janac511mo ago

Oh man, I read somewhere that GFCI issues are actually some of the most common hidden problems in kitchen remodels, something like 30% of callbacks come from them. Your story about the neutral wire barely touching the terminal screw is exactly the kind of thing that gets me, because it's so easy to miss but so frustrating. I heard a pro electrician on a podcast say that loose neutrals are the number one cause of phantom tripping, way worse than ground faults themselves. It's crazy how a tiny little connection issue can eat up six hours of your life, especially when you're checking everything else first. I bet you felt like a genius when you finally spotted it though, even if you wanted to throw the outlet across the room.

mary_kelly1mo ago

Feel your pain on that one.