Separate the wires from the box into two pairs. One is the line cable that connects to the GFCI's LINE terminals. When wiring low-voltage circuits, such as those supplying doorbells or landscape lights, "load" refers to the parts of the circuit that are at full household voltage (usually 120 volts), to distinguish them from the low-voltage wiring and devices that are used after the voltage is stepped down at a transformer. The other cable connects to the LOAD terminals to bring power downstream to additional outlets and other devices on the circuit. GFCI Load Wiring Power is connected to the GFCI line side. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. How to Replace a Standard 120-Volt Outlet Receptacle Remove mounting screws and gently pull the switch out of the wall box. Timothy Thiele is an electrician who advises residential DIYers on how to make home installation projects safe and easy. Using the load connection requires two cables in the GFCI's electrical box. The ground screw on a GFCI is always green and is located on one end of the outlet body. The
Protected receptacle (s) will be connected to the GFCI load side as shown below.
Color-Coding of Electrical Wires and Terminal Screws Turn Circuit Breaker Off. The terms are used in the context of a single device and electrical box, so that the wires that deliver power into the box are described as the Timothy Thiele is an electrician who advises residential DIYers on how to make home installation projects safe and easy.
How to Wire a Line-Voltage Thermostat for a Baseboard Heater Disconnect wires from the existing outlet. The load connection is available to feed additional standard (non-GFCI) outlets downstream from the GFCI location to provide protection from the GFCI. The markings for line and load usually are printed on the back of the outlet's plastic body. Additional outlets installed between the GFCI and the service panel are not protected by the GFCI. How to Wire a Line-Voltage Thermostat for a Baseboard Heater Line and load have special meaning when wiring ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) outlets.
Standard outlets are much cheaper than GFCIs.
At the circuit breaker box or fuse box, turn off the electrical power. A number of other more conversational terms are also used to describe the same thing, such as GFCI protection is not the same thing as grounding. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Outlets (receptacles), switches, light fixtures, and other electrical devices typically are wired in multiples on a single circuit. The load terminals typically are not visible when you pull the GFCI outlet out of its package because they are covered by a strip of tape (usually yellow in color). In the electrical trades, the terms "line" and "load" are shorthand words that refer to the wires that deliver power from the source to a device (line), vs. those that carry power onward to other devices further along the circuit (load). For example, on a lighting circuit, you can add up the maximum wattage of all of the light fixtures on the circuit to calculate the "total load," or maximum potential power demand of all the lights. Wiring Procedure for Wiring With Only 1 Cable (2 or 3 wires) Identify the "Line" terminals on the GFCI … Connecting to the line terminals only results in the outlet providing GFCI … A GFCI outlet, properly installed, will protect all the outlets on the "load" side. Remove … The Note that when using the load connection, the GFCI protects only the other outlets that are downstream of the GFCI; that is, farther away from the service panel with respect to the circuit wiring. GFCIs have two pairs of screw terminals for connecting wires: One pair is marked LINE, and one is marked LOAD. Ground connection is not shown. GFCI Receptacle vs GFCI Circuit Breaker: What's the Difference? If replacing an existing GFCI, label the black and white wires on the Line and Load terminals. The load terminals typically are not visible when you pull the GFCI outlet out of its package because they are covered by a strip of tape (usually yellow in color). With the first device, the This is where the bare or green-colored ground wire connects. If the GFCI's electrical box is metal (not plastic), you must join two pigtails (short lengths of wire) to the circuit ground wires and connect one pigtail to the outlet ground screw and one to the metal electrical box. Electrical Service Panel Basics Homeowners Should Know The line connection is the point where you will connect the incoming feeder wire (also called the line), which is fed from the home’s Installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Outlets If the circuit wiring does not contain a ground wire, the GFCI will not be affected and will operate as designed, but the outlet will not be grounded. The other set will be the "load," which carries power to additional outlets on the same circuit. For more details, see our Use a screwdriver or drill to remove the wall plate.
The downside is that when there is a The terms line and load have a number of applications at different locations in an electrical system. The line terminals are easy to see because they are not covered when you remove the outlet from the manufacturer’s packaging. In other words, any regular outlet that is fed from the load side of the GFCI is also protected from a ground fault because of the GFCI outlet. The same meaning can apply to the device itself.