CA Traveler wrote:
Something is not right here. The ground does NOT pass THROUGH the GFCI and hence it cannot have 120V from the GFCI or elsewhere unless it's open or a ground could be connected to 120V somewhere but a properly wired GFCI does NOT pass the ground through and a correctly wired ground coming into a GFCI will be "earth ground" and not be at 120V.
. . .
That’s pretty much the way I had it figured. Rather than simply replacing the GFCI outlet and calling it good, I would like to figure out how I came to have the situation I had so I can be sure it is corrected. Since failure of the GFCI outlet apparently does not explain the problem, I will keep looking. I will replace the questionable GFCI outlet in any event.
The GFCI outlet and all others down the line from it tested “hot and ground reversed.” The ones up the line tested okay. Removing the GFCI outlet from the circuit seems to have made things right. I did not see any evidence of arcing around any of the wires. But the light that was plugged-in down the line from the GFCI outlet worked before, then quit without explanation. I’ve had this coach only a few months, and I cannot recall that I have yet had any other load anywhere else on the 3 outlets down the line.
Before removing the GFCI outlet, I removed the next outlet down the line. Checking bare wires with a digital multi-meter, I found nothing between black and white. I found 120 volts between bare and white, with bare being the hot side. That is consistent with the results from plugging in the outlet circuit tester.
I quit working outside last evening when it got too dark and cold. I did not re-check everything before and after the box where the GFCI outlet was removed. But a test light plugged in down the line worked after the GFCI outlet was bypassed, but not before. I will go back out and check some more when it warms up some. Currently, it is 11* outside.
Wayne
