Electrical issue has me puzzled.

[vmax]

My kitchen sink area countertops have 2 electrical plugs.
The one on the left side, about 3 feet from the sink is a GFCI style and the other plug, about 5 feet to the right is just a standard plug.

We have only lived here about 3 months and a couple of times we’ve had problems with the GFCI plug tripping and I had to push the button to reset the breaker in the plug.

That plugs breaker has tripped a few times and the only things we have had plugged in it were 2 of those wireless charging pads for cell phones.


Recently, we had a laptop AC plugged into the other plug (Non GFCI) on the other side of the countertop and that plug wasn’t working and I looked and the chargers were not working and sure enough the GFCI plug was tripped again. When I reset it, then the other plug worked..WTH??

It appears that when we put even a light load like a laptop charger into the non GFCI plug , that can trip the GFCI plug.

 

[lonestardiver]

The GFCI plug being in the circuit for the outlets near water (the sink) acts as the gatekeeper for everything on that circuit.

You may have a poor connection at one of the plugs such that it arcs a bit with a little load on it. Who knows, you maybe even have neutral and ground swapped on one outlet.

I once had an issue where a circuit would spontaneously trip the breaker with little to no load on it. I later discovered it was a poor connection at the breaker.

It could even be a faulty GFCI outlet.

 

[Davetex]

My kitchen and bathrooms and outdoor outlets are the same way. You might just need to replace the one GCFI outlet if it''s tripping too easily.

 

[John Galt]

The non-GFCI plug is wired in series with the GFCI and thus provided with the same protection. GFCI can wear out (especially if tripped often) and become weak so that what would have previously been a normal load will now cause it to trip. If you are fairly handy around the house replacing it should not be a problem. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the new plug so that you wire it correctly to continue protecting that downstream plug.

 

[vmax]

The GFCI plug being in the circuit for the outlets near water (the sink) acts as the gatekeeper for everything on that circuit.

.

Yes, I understand that concept, but I would figure that each plug would be a GFCI , not piggy back off the other one... Does that meet code?

 

[lonestardiver]

I believe so. I have several like that my house.
This way if a fault is detected it kills the circuit past that outlet.

 

[vmax]

Thanks..
I didn’t know they would use one GFCI plug for 2 counter outlets.

I was given a 1 year warranty on the home when I bought it in Dec

Normally I would just go get a new GFCI plug and replace it.. but I’m calling an electrician and letting the warranty company fix this one.

 

[Axxe55]

As mentioned, check out the GFCI wiring to make sure it's properly wired.

If it's wired properly, I'd replace the outlet.

I have replaced the one in our kitchen twice, and the one in our master bath once.

 

[Davetex]

It''s code compliant, and most homes are wired like this anymore.

 

[lonestardiver]

Thanks..
I didn’t know they would use one GFCI plug for 2 counter outlets.

I was given a 1 year warranty on the home when I bought it in Dec

Normally I would just go get a new GFCI plug and replace it.. but I’m calling an electrician and letting the warranty company fix this one.

Sounds like a plan....problem with most home warranty companies you have to call them and they dispatch joe-bobs electric. It could take a day or three to get a tech out there. Check the fine print of what is covered and what is not.

I had issues with one over a hot water heater. They would only source through their contracted parts houses and would not get a tall hot water heater and wanted me to rebuild the closet the hot water heater was located in to accommodate.

I ended up firing them and bought one at Home Depot and swapped it out myself...

 

[kbaxter60]

It''s code compliant, and most homes are wired like this anymore.

Yes, this sounds right. We recently worked on a home that had three of the GFCI plugs and at least four standard ones hanging off of them. The new plug likely will come with little stickers that show "GFCI" and you can put those on the plates for the other plugs, so folks will know that they are protected.
Buy yourself an outlet tester and it will verify correct wiring and many have a GFCI Test button that you can test operation with (from any of the plugs in the circuit).

 

[Davetex]

I had a dead outlet in a bathroom once, couldn't figure it out. I asked a friend about it and he said reset the GFCI. I told him there isn't one in that bathroom, and he said it's in the other bathroom, go reset it. And yeah, that was it. In the other bathroom. Now I know.

 

[Axxe55]

I had a dead outlet in a bathroom once, couldn't figure it out. I asked a friend about it and he said reset the GFCI. I told him there isn't one in that bathroom, and he said it's in the other bathroom, go reset it. And yeah, that was it. In the other bathroom. Now I know.

We have a GFCI outlet in the garage, that powers the two outlets on the back porch.

The garage is at the front of the house!

 

[TX OMFS]

Sounds like a plan....problem with most home warranty companies you have to call them and they dispatch joe-bobs electric. It could take a day or three to get a tech out there. Check the fine print of what is covered and what is not.

I had issues with one over a hot water heater. They would only source through their contracted parts houses and would not get a tall hot water heater and wanted me to rebuild the closet the hot water heater was located in to accommodate.

I ended up firing them and bought one at Home Depot and swapped it out myself...

Yep. Home warranty companies are terrible. They always do shady work. I will never pay for a warranty. We got one w/ our last house & the AC compressor blew up. They were taking forever & using terrible contractors. Eventually they gave me $1000 for the compressor & I had the work done w/ a reputable contractor.

 

[vmax]

Sounds like a plan....problem with most home warranty companies you have to call them and they dispatch joe-bobs electric. It could take a day or three to get a tech out there. Check the fine print of what is covered and what is not.

I had issues with one over a hot water heater. They would only source through their contracted parts houses and would not get a tall hot water heater and wanted me to rebuild the closet the hot water heater was located in to accommodate.

I ended up firing them and bought one at Home Depot and swapped it out myself...

Well there is your problem... you had one of those “hot water heaters” instead of just a plain water heater...lol

 

[kbaxter60]

I had a dead outlet in a bathroom once, couldn't figure it out. I asked a friend about it and he said reset the GFCI. I told him there isn't one in that bathroom, and he said it's in the other bathroom, go reset it. And yeah, that was it. In the other bathroom. Now I know.

Yep. That home I already mentioned had an upstairs bath GFCI tied to a downstairs half bath. Makes troubleshooting a bit more involved (and that one was NOT labeled).

 

[vmax]

....
Buy yourself an outlet tester and it will verify correct wiring and many have a GFCI Test button that you can test operation with (from any of the plugs in the circuit).

I have one.. I need to check both outlets with it for sure.

 

[dsgrey]

It could even be a faulty GFCI outlet.

Had that happen one time after a lightning strike outside the east wall of my 2-story house. 3 GFCIs on that wall but only one was bad. Some of the strangest things did and did not get damaged.

 

[robertc1024]

I've had to replace a couple of GFCI plugs in the last couple of years. They were intermittent even after I cycled them a couple of times. They definitely wear out.

 

[SQLGeek]

This is pretty well answered but I will add that the other outlets wired in series with the GFCI should have a sticker on them indicating that they are protected by a GFCI outlet.