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My son has 2 regular outlets the second leads to the first of 4 GFCI outlets in the kitchen. When he uses either regular outlet it trips the GFCI. We changed both outlets although there was no apparent defects or damage. It still trips the GFCI. We then changed the GFCI. Again it trips when either of the two regular outlets are used. He can use the GFCI (the one that trips) with no problems and the three after the one that trips are fine. Which makes me believe the problem lies before the GFCI outlets begin. It drives me nuts when I can figure things out. Anyhow here's a list of the order of the outlets.

Regular - Regular - GFCI( the one that trips) - Switch for above sink light - GFCI - GFCI

How GFCI is wired below:

Left side one 3 whites Right side 2 blacks Bottom ground


GFCI outlet wiring drawing ,,,,,,,,,,,

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  • Are you saying that a GFCI device is feeding other GFCI devices? That is wrong. One GFCI outlet will protect everything attached to its "Load" terminals (electrically downstream). There is no need to have more than one GFCI on a branch. I know from experience that compact fluorescent lights will "fight" with a GFCI if they are plugged in to it or fed by the Load terminals. Eventually one or both will burn out. You have something wrongly wired. Remove the downstream GFCI devices, and any fluorescent lamps / fixtures and see what happens. Your description of the wiring worries me also.
    – user50401
    Feb 19, 2016 at 3:43
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    It strikes me as odd that's there's 3 white wires, and only 2 black. How many white wires are attached to the LINE side of the GFCI, and how many are attached to the LOAD side? I'm guessing there are two whites on the LOAD side, and the rouge white wire is what's causing the problem.
    – Tester101
    Feb 19, 2016 at 3:44
  • If you look at the GFCI on the top there is two white wires and on the bottom there is one white wire Then on the hot side there is one black wire on top and one black wire on the bottom. After the first GFCI (the one that trips) there is a switch for the light above the sink and then the other GFCIs. I'm not sure if the switch has anything to do with how the GFCI is wired.
    – Kenny
    Feb 19, 2016 at 3:54
  • @Kenny On the back of the GFCI, the terminals should be labeled LINE and LOAD. Top and bottom is not useful, as the device can be installed either way, and the terminals may vary by manufacturer.
    – Tester101
    Feb 19, 2016 at 3:57
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    Get some photos, or draw an accurate diagram. Otherwise we're all just guessing.
    – Tester101
    Feb 19, 2016 at 4:38

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I think Kenny above was right.

From your wire count, on the load side, it looks like one black and one white go off to the properly-working GFCI outlets (which as others have pointed out need not be GFCI since they are downstream of a GFCI) while the "regular" outlets are probably getting a white from the GFCI load side, and a black from somewhere else (line side of the GFCI probably unless someone has accidentally mixed two circuits here).

This should be pretty easy to sort out and clean up, you just have to figure out which cable is the line feed, which goes to to downline kitchen outlets, and which goes to the downline regular outlets.

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