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Electrical Wire and Cable


Outdoor Wiring for a GFCI Outlet


How to Install Electrical Wiring for a GFCI Outlet in an Outdoor Location: The Most Common Method for Installing Electrical Cable and Wiring for Outdoor GFCI Outlets.



Home Electrical Wiring Video

Hooking Up a Generator to the House Panel
Using a Circuit Breaker Interlock Kit
for Backup Power

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Learn more about Home Electrical Wiring
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Installing the Right Electrical Wiring for a GFCI Outlet
[ad#block]Electrical Question: A leaky fountain fried my GFCI outlet.

This electrical question came from: Lloyd, from Goose Pimple Junction, Virginia.
See more about Home Wiring for Virginia

Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Lloyd.

How to Install Electrical Wiring for a GFCI Outlet

Install the Correct Electrical Cable for GFCI Outlets

The Most Common Method for Installing Electrical Cable and Wiring for Outdoor GFCI Outlets

Electrical Outlet Wiring

Wiring GFI Outlets

GFCI Wiring
GFCI Wiring
This list of articles will help you learn about the features and benefits provided by GFI and GFCI Receptacles and how they are wired.


The following may also be helpful for you:

Dave's Guide to Home Electrical Wiring:

» You Can Avoid Costly Mistakes! «

Wire It Right with the help of my Illustrated Wiring Book
Great for any Home Wiring Project.
  electrical wiring  

Complete Guide to Home Electrical Wiring

Perfect for Homeowners, Students,
Handyman, Handy Women, and Electricians
Includes:
Wiring GFCI Outlets
Wiring Home Electric Circuits
120 Volt and 240 Volt Outlet Circuits
Wiring Light Switches
Wiring 3-Wire and 4-Wire Electric Range
Wiring 3-Wire and 4-Wire Dryer Cord and Dryer Outlet
Troubleshoot and Repair Electrical Wiring
Wiring Methods for Upgrading Electrical Wiring
NEC Codes for Home Electrical Wiring
....and much more.


Learn more about Home Electrical Wiring
with my Online Video Course:
Basic Home Electrical Wiring by Example


Be Careful and Be Safe - Never Work on Energized Circuits!
Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all Electric Wiring Projects.

Electrical Tips to Help You Wire it Right

The Safest Way to Test Electrical Devices and Identify Electric Wires!

The Non-Contact Electrical Tester
This is a testing tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and is the first test tool I grab to help identify electrical wiring. It is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.

The Quickest Way to Check for Faulty Electrical Wiring!

The Plug-In Outlet Tester
This is the first tool I grab to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring. This popular tester is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect Very handy and easy to use.

Strip Off Wire Insulation without Nicking and Damaging the Electric Wire!

The Wire Stripper and Wire Cutter
My absolute favorite wire stripping tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and this is the tool I use to safely strip electrical wires.
This handy tool has multiple uses:
The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation.
The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets..

The wire stripper will work on both solid and stranded wire. This tool is Very Handy and Easy to Use.


More articles about GFCI Outlet Questions, Outdoor Wiring and Home Electrical Wiring:
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Generator Transfer Switch Using Circuit Breakers How to Connect Light Fixture Wiring


FAQs Frequently Asked Questions and Comments

2 Responses to “Outdoor Wiring for a GFCI Outlet”
  1. allen schaeffer says:

    I am Putting in outside GFCI circuit on post to power new fish pond equipment.

    I found and tapped into the buried UF cable that is feeding my storage shed which is a dedicated circuit that has two 10 or 20 amp breakers in the basement for the greenhouse where one is listed as lights and one listed as plugs.

    The existing UF wire has Red, black, white and ground wires. This new GFCI outlet is now the new first stop along the way to the shed which has 3 GFCI’s and a ceiling fan/light combo. I used a new section of UF wire of a lesser thickness to wire up the new circuit and tie into the existing one.

    I think I understand the line and load parts of the receptacle, but what to do with the red wire.

    To learn more, I opened the first outlet at the service entrance in the shed to see how they were treating the red wire and found a normally wired GFCI outlet and they just have pig tailed the red wire to another red wire and it goes off to another circuit. My theory was that they were using the red wire for lights in the shed as the second circuit. So I just pig tailed the old red and new red together and hooked up my new GFCI with the traditional wiring config including pigtail to ground in the metal outlet box.

    However when I energized the circuit last night- I got red and green lights on the GFCI receptacle (power was at least getting to it…) but the reset button would not go in and the light I had plugged into the new GFCI outlet would not work- nor would any of the shed lights- so I don’t think power was making it to there, i.e the circuit was not complete somehow.

    Is the red wire something that has to be put into the first GFCI outlet to complete the circuit? If so where or how is it connected?

  2. Dave Rongey says:

    Hi Allen,
    From what you have described, I will identify a few points for you to consider:

    A circuit cable that has a red, black, white and ground wire is typically referred to as a multi wire circuit, which has two circuits that share the same white and ground wires. When wired correctly at the panel a voltage reading between the black and red wire produces 220 volts. Therefore the circuit should be tested to make sure the configuration is correct to ensure the connections to the GFCI outlets are correct.

    When tapping into any electrical circuit wiring, the tap should be done inside an approved enclosure that is rated for outdoor weatherproof conditions, and the wire size must be the same throughout all of the circuit wiring.

    Electrical wiring to a home pond must be GFCI protected, which can be provided by a GFCI circuit breaker at the panel or a GFCI outlet.

    The UF Cable must be installed according to code.

    From the position of safety and to make sure your project is wired correctly, I strongly suggest that you consider having a licensed electrician assist you with your project first hand where all the elements may be carefully evaluated.

    I hope this helps,
    Dave