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(Similar to How do I install a GFCI receptacle with two hot wires and common neutral? but hopefully different enough to warrant my question.)

In our bathroom we have 1 outlet and two switches in the same box. Here is a diagram (ports that are hot have red squares):

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I would like to replace the current outlet with GFCI. Can this be done properly and safely given the current wiring scheme?

FreeMan
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  • You can replace the receptacle with a GFCI, but you won't be able to provide GFCI protection to the switched devices. – Tester101 Jan 23 '16 at 18:01
  • Note that the lower terminals on both switches are also intermittently hot (when the switch is in the ON position). – bib Jan 23 '16 at 18:13
  • @Tester101, if they moved the hot wire supplying the switches to LOAD side of the GFI, would that protect their circiuts, or cause it to trip because the load is using a different neutral leg? – Jimmy Fix-it Jan 23 '16 at 20:09
  • @JimmyFix-it It would trip as soon as you put a load on it (turned on light or fan), because the "neutral" does not run through the GFCI. – Tester101 Jan 23 '16 at 20:31
  • Where is the neutral for the light and fan? If it's improperly routed this would be a good opportunity to fix that. If you don't have and can't run the appropriate cable you could get a fan controller device that only needs on Hot and uses a radio remote to control things, then the existing white could be neutral. – jay613 May 31 '22 at 17:39

1 Answers1

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Both the black wires currently on the receptacle, need to be connected together with a pigtail. The pigtail will then connect to the brass colored LINE terminal on the new GFCI.

The white wire from the old receptacle, will attach to the silver colored LINE terminal of the new GFCI.

The grounding conductors should also be pigtailed, and a pigtail terminated at each devices grounding terminal.

The wiring seems a bit strange in that box, but I'll have to think about it a bit more before I decide if it's dangerous.

In the meantime, you should use a black marker or tape, to mark both ends of the white wire that's attached to the switch.

Tester101
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