# GFCI that automatically comes back on?



## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

I am not an electrician, so take this as advice not gospel. 

That shouldn't be happening. 
My first thought is you have a GFI adapter plugged into a GFI outlet. That can make the circuit somewhat flaky. Also, if your house is old, before the seventies, the wiring, particularly ground wire - may not be installed properly. 
I suggest you pay an electrician for a consultation or to check your home wiring. 

The next bit would be advice, after you absolutely determine that no GFI or Arc Fault device is in that circuit. Replace the outlet with a GFI wall outlet.


----------



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

My house is only 10 months old, so it is probably ok on that front. As far as whether it is a GFI outlet or not, it just has a regular outlet plate, while other outlets have a "RESET" button in the middle, which makes me think one is GFI and the other is not. The tank is plugged into one that doesn't have this.


----------



## Aftica (Nov 26, 2003)

VeeSe said:


> every time the power goes out, it shuts off and doesn't come back on when the power returns until I come and reset it.



I had a plug in job that did that as well about 15 years ago... was frustrating and I moved it to other duties...

If your any way electrically inclined... buy a utility box, a regular GFCI recpticle, a bit of cable, and a male plug cap. Make your own GFCI extension cord. (or buy a 4 gang utility box and make a GFCI Power Bar) etc..


----------



## Storm (Aug 7, 2011)

If you have one GFI outlet upstream in the circuit from any other outlets, it effectively makes all the outlets below it GFI as well. So, even if you're plugging into the non-GFI outlet, you might still get GFI protection if you have another outlet in the same room that is a GFI outlet.


----------



## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

That's how GFI's are supposed to work. It's to protect users from having equipment come on unexpectedly after a power failure. There's no such thing as an auto reset GFI.

Tommy


----------



## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

LS6 Tommy said:


> That's how GFI's are supposed to work. It's to protect users from having equipment come on unexpectedly after a power failure. There's no such thing as an auto reset GFI.
> 
> Tommy


No its not. I think you are mislead here. A GFCI should not trip on a power outtage. I have never ever heard of having to reset all your GFCI breakers after you loose power.


----------



## discusonly (Mar 28, 2010)

Gatekeeper said:


> No its not. I think you are mislead here. A GFCI should not trip on a power outtage. I have never ever heard of having to reset all your GFCI breakers after you loose power.


 
Correct. I run GFI outlet in my first room and never experience GFI being tripped because of power failure. Heck, I've even overload the my break once when I ran a powerful vaccum on my outlet and trip the breaker and GFI is never tripped. Flip the breaker back on and everything is good to go. You should have your wiring check. Something is not right.


----------



## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

Well, If you're willing to spend <$10, 10-20 minutes, and splurge on a single flathead screwdriver, you can replace the existing 3-prong outlet with a GFI outlet. Assuming, of course, that you don't have another GFI outlet already upstream from the curent 3-prong outlet. In which case the adapter is unnecessary in the first place.


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

I'd put a real GFi outlet in. If you're not comfortable doing it, it is worth having someone come do it. But it isn't hard to do.


----------



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

kevmo911 said:


> Well, If you're willing to spend <$10, 10-20 minutes, and splurge on a single flathead screwdriver, you can replace the existing 3-prong outlet with a GFI outlet. Assuming, of course, that you don't have another GFI outlet already upstream from the curent 3-prong outlet. In which case the adapter is unnecessary in the first place.


Hmm... I'll have to find out if there's a GFI outlet upstream, which there may be (this is in the dining room/kitchen, sort of far away from the stove etc but there's a good chance it is downstream from a GFI outlet). If not, I'll look into installing one there. Thanks everyone!


----------



## NatCh (Feb 23, 2011)

I think the modern GFCIs all release on a power failure. I can say with high confidence that the only brand if in-wall GFCI outlets that my local Lowe's sells do so -- it's actually specified in their documentation.

I agree that this "feature" is a really dumb one, but it's a logical progression of the current regulational trend of making things so "safe" their utility is actually impaired, so while it irritates the fire out of me, it doesn't really surprise me.


----------



## Aftica (Nov 26, 2003)

I used to work in the electrical industry.. now mind you not for the past 10 to 12 years now, but regular wall GFCI's should NOT pop upon power outages, unless the outage is cause by the GFCI it'self (Ie a short to ground) etc..

Now that being said if the GFI is quite sensitive... and the outage was a lightning strike somewhere etc.. yeah it could cause it to pop I guess...

As for the portable GFCI adapter... I think they have to comply with OSHA standards and therefore require a manual reset after even a momentary power outage (to prevent power tools or equipment from starting up while the user is unpreppared causing injury or death.)

Make your own... a good heavy duty Male Plug Cap, 5 feet of 14/3 Cable, a utility box (Metal or PVC) a cable connector of some form, and a regular GFCI... and your off to the races.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Aftica said:


> I
> As for the portable GFCI adapter... I think they have to comply with OSHA standards and therefore require a manual reset after even a momentary power outage (to prevent power tools or equipment from starting up while the user is unpreppared causing injury or death.)


Bingo! 
Right on the money.


----------



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

that does make sense


----------



## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

Which one were you using Veese?

I am thinking of using this white 5 outlet one . If this is not the one you are using, does anyone know if it would have the same issue if the power were to go out? 

My house is being wired this week, but the builder wants $150 (not a typo) to put in a GFCI where my tank will be situated (and this is in a house that has not been drywalled yet :icon_evil). I'd just replace it myself, but I'd have to wait a year so as not to void the warranty. /rant


----------



## NatCh (Feb 23, 2011)

I talked to a friend of mine who is an electrician. Apparently the plug in ones (not in wall) all have the manual reset on power loss "feature", but he'd never heard of an in-wall one doing that.

He also suggested that I just put a GFCI *breaker* on the circuit. Obviously it would affect the entire circuit, but it doesn't need special wiring or anything. That might be another option.


----------



## Doc7 (Apr 7, 2011)

The plug in ones have it because, among other reasons, they are often used for portable tooling such as saws, drills, etc on job sites. The reasons that a power source shouldn't kick back on when lost power is restored at a later time are pretty clear in that case.

As a poster above suggested, I bought an "Outdoor Electrical Box" along with a GFCI outlet, and a "Replacement cord", and built a GFCI outlet into my tank stand. Took 30 minutes, and it plugs into my wall so no matter where I move my tank in the future (different houses etc) I don't need to do anything except put one plug in the wall, and most aquarium GFCI needs are resolved, and no worries about trip on power loss.


Mine is in the back left side of this image, and my two power strips plug into it. Only one plug leaves my stand, the black one exiting the bottom of the GFCI box. Ensure all electrical hookups are sized properly for your equipment loads.


----------



## Beer (Feb 1, 2012)

They are 100% correct about the GFI adapters tripping on power off. They are typically intended for jobsites. It is to prevent accidental starting of equipment when plugging in cords. In wall GFIs should not trip on a loss of power. How much of a pain would that be to have to walk around your house to manually reset all the GFIs on top of having to reset all the clocks. Not only that, any slight surge (which happens frequently) would cause them to trip as well.
GFI breakers and receptacles should only trip on a ground fault.


----------



## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

If you want to find outlets that are upstream from the GFCI one you can trip it manually by pressing the test/reset button. Plug some device (table lamp, power strip with light, etc) in all the power outlets you see in the same room - if the device does not come on - you found one. Might as well put a label on it too. Have fun.


----------

