Anyone here an electrician?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by 70SATMan

The same outlet the garbage disposal is plugged into?? Under the sink or above the counter?

Usually when they go, they just won't stay engaged to complete the circuit. Have a DVM?

The NEC doesn't allow GFC's inside a cabinet. A GD is supposed to have its own circuit.

But I have no idea where the OP's outlet is, how many things are plugged in, that sort of thing.

In case I missed it above, you really need to know the power is off to that circuit before messing around. I've not seen it on a GFCI because IDT it's possible, but some outlets are powered by 2 separate circuits.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The NEC doesn't allow GFC's inside a cabinet. A GD is supposed to have its own circuit.

But I have no idea where the OP's outlet is, how many things are plugged in, that sort of thing.

In case I missed it above, you really need to know the power is off to that circuit before messing around. I've not seen it on a GFCI because IDT it's possible, but some outlets are powered by 2 separate circuits.

Lots of homes do not have a dedicated circuit to the garbage disposal. I bet someone just wired off the GFI downstream to the disposal.

[70SATMan]

Originally Posted by look 171

Lots of homes do not have a dedicated circuit to the garbage disposal. I bet someone just wired off the GFI downstream to the disposal.

That's what I was trying to determine. Current codes don't always reflect the changes over the years. When my house was wired for a disposal, it was before GFI requirements and before dedicated circuit requirements IIRC.

Also, building codes are either adopted or not adopted by County, yeah? And, not always in toto.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 70SATMan

That's what I was trying to determine. Current codes don't always reflect the changes over the years. When my house was wired for a disposal, it was before GFI requirements and before dedicated circuit requirements IIRC.

Also, building codes are either adopted or not adopted by County, yeah? And, not always in toto.

Yep. WE could get away with having garbage disposal piggy back off another source under the sink, normally dish washer up to about maybe 10 years ago. Not they want two appliance circuits in the kitchen no matter how smaller the kitchen. Building code make sense for 99% of the time, but there are those that make us scratching our heads.

[flatbutt]

Anything better than Leviton?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by look 171

Lots of homes do not have a dedicated circuit to the garbage disposal. I bet someone just wired off the GFI downstream to the disposal.

Just pointing out a fact. Once a licensed contractor is involved, in most places you must upgrade.

As for Leviton, they have commercial grade if you want to pay for it. Box stores squeeze manufacturers for a low price/ high volume shelf item. Look at the other choices when you can or go to an electrical supply house. Generally, they don't have 97 cent 15 amp outlets in stock.

A $6.99 GFCI is just that, a 6.99 device. One that goes in a hospital costs between 25 and 30 bucks.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Just pointing out a fact. Once a licensed contractor is involved, in most places you must upgrade.

As for Leviton, they have commercial grade if you want to pay for it. Box stores squeeze manufacturers for a low price/ high volume shelf item. Look at the other choices when you can or go to an electrical supply house. Generally, they don't have 97 cent 15 amp outlets in stock.

A $6.99 GFCI is just that, a 6.99 device. One that goes in a hospital costs between 25 and 30 bucks.

That all depends? If changing out cabinets, sinks and such without touching any existing electrical I think we can still get away with leaving it in place the way it is. I haven't done anything like that in a very long time, more then 10 years. It may have changed by now, who knows?

[red-beard]

Back on Topic...

The OP has a Garbage Disposal that is interfaced with the GFCI outlet on the same circuit. I don't think any "upgrading" is necessary. Just a replacement of the GFCI.

[Rick Lee]

Ok, Leviton was all the local Ace Hardware had and it was $17 after the $5 coupon I had. Sheesh. But I just swapped it out and no joy. Still nothing. I can't find the circuit on the panel on the side of the house because all those markings faded or disintegrated long ago. So I had to shut the whole thing down. I checked all with a multimeter, then installed the new GFI outlet. I did not push the GFI box back into the wall. With all power on, my multimeter is still showing next to nothing on the wires stabbed into the new GFI outlet.

What to try next?

[red-beard]

Just asking, you reset the button in the GFC, right?

[Rick Lee]

The red button on top? It only bounces back out, does not stick in.

[dad911]

Post pics of wiring....

[red-beard]

I'm thinking reverse wired

[herr_oberst]

Are both wires correctly connected to the line side?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I'm thinking reverse wired

I took one wire at a time off the old one and connected it to the new one. The old one is identical in every way. The wires are pretty much bare, but painted. I didn't do any cutting or stripping at all, just R&R, plug and play exactly as it was. There are five wires.

[1990C4S]

Is there anything plugged in to it? If there is disconnect all the loads and try to reset it.

[A930Rocket]

I know it’s a stupid idea, but when I walk a house with a new owner, I tell them to turn the breaker all the way off and then all the way back on. You would be amazed at how many people can’t reset a breaker.

Electricity is not my forte, but can you test the wires coming in the box and see if there’s power?

Unless it’s connected down line from another GFI (???) or switch, shouldn’t power come directly from the breaker box?

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

The red button on top? It only bounces back out, does not stick in.

I've had bad GFCI's right out of the box. Plus, they get old they get cranky. Took me forever to figure out there wasn't a problem with my camper when I plugged it into my back yard GF circuit which kept tripping.

Red button should stay in.

If the GFCI is functioning properly but it keeps tripping (or won't reset) there's a fault somewhere in the circuit which could even be inside the switch to the disposal.

Way back when, as the story is told, Uncle Bob's basement flooded and the single basement lightbulb went kaput which needed replacing. So Uncle Bob is standing on a chair in knee-deep water in his basement very awkwardly leaning waaaay over to gingerly unscrew the old and screw in the new on a hot circuit standing on a chair, in the water, at night and in the dark. Pretty funny-looking situation.

My cousin (Bob's eldest daughter) thought it so funny that she'd decided to take a snap of the operation with her old-timey flash camera.

POPFLASH!

Over goes Bob thinking he'd got himself zapped right onto the murky drink of backed-up sump water.

Uncle Bob was last seen very wet and very angry chasing the laughing photographer around the back of the house with a hammer.

[Rick Lee]

I plugged the garbage disposal into an extension cord into an outlet that still works fine. That outlet read 124VAC on my multimeter. I just plugged something into the new GFI outlet and it's not lighting up.

[Crowbob]

If the GFI won't reset, anything you plug into it or any outlet downstream in the line won't operate, I think.