Re: GFCIs

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Terry Thorsen said, in part:

> . . . anything connected downstream from the GFCI (plugs,
> lights) will be
> protected too.  So it's best to put the GFCI in at the
> beginning of the
> circuit so everything on it will be protected, but this
> isn't always easy to
> find and putting the plug in where you will be needing it
> most will suffice.

This is true but only part of the story.

Commnly available GFCIs usually (for example Levitons)
allow you to wire in either of two ways.  One way, the
sockets farther down the circuit are also GFCI protected. 
The other way, only the GFCI socket is GFCI protected and
not the other sockets further down the line.  This latter
installation can be preferable for situations where the
appliances that will be plugged into sockets father down
the circuit are the types that can false trip a GFCI.  It
is also preferred if you don't want the items farther down
the line to be shut off when something else up the line has
a ground fault.

The sockets come with instructions on how to wire the
socket so that it does or does not provide GFCI protection
on the other sockets on the same circuit.

Scott H.

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