Replacing outlet for GFCI - one outlet on 2 breakers? (1 Viewer)

[coralreefer]

I am about to replace an outlet for my fish tank from a standard to GFCI. While trying to determine what breaker the outlet is attached to I figured out it will stay hot with my Circuit Alert tester unless 2 breakers are turned off. The house was built in the mid 1990s. Can anyone tell me what is going on here to someone with a very limited wiring knowledge and if I need to do anything different with the replacement? TIA!

 

[patent]

Wow, never seen that. I have no idea if its up to code, etc., but I can't help but think this is a bad thing. Are there 2 sets of wires coming into the recepticle? Or is there only one hot, but somehow its on 2 circuits?

Were it me, I'd want this fixed.

 

[coralreefer]

Honestly I have been so busy today that I haven't pulled anything out yet I was just testing it. Once I encountered that I figured it would be best to find out what I'm dealing with before I pull it apart.

 

[LoJenn]

I have a master electrician friend. He warned me against installing a gfci, stating if it shuts off you'll lose a power to the tank. Understandable. That could create a problem when you're not home. Perhaps you could run power to another outlet away from the tank? Just a thought

 

[adeebm]

On the other hand, if equipment fails and you stick your hand in the tank, a GFCI could save your life. Personally, I would put any equipment that touches water on a GFCI, and think of something else for power failures(Apex alarm, UPS, etc). Just running your pumps on a cheap UPS could go a long way towards protecting your tank.

As for why one outlet is wired to two breakers, that does seem very odd. However, if you don't want to change anything, replacing your existing outlet with a GFCI outlet should be fairly simple. They should wire up the same way.

 

[reef junkie]

Do the breakers power each outlet seperate. So if u turn one breaker off theupper plug turned off. And the second breaker turns the lower plug off. If u look on the side of the plug after u pull it out of the wall are the tabs that connect the 2 screw still in tack or are they broke. If the not attached this is why its on separate circuits. Previous owner could of had a fridge on its own circuit there and the other was for another set of plugs. Not sure if this helps.

 

[LowersMyBP]

You may be getting a false positive on your circuit alert tester from a wire that runs through the wall behind the box but isn't in the box. Maybe, I am not so familiar with those testers other than I thought while tinkering with one once, I could get it to go off just by touching it to my finger.....

Plug in two lamps. One on each outlet on the receptacle, turn them on, now go trip breakers. If it still takes two, then you likely have something like reef junkie described going on.

 

[ikserk]

Do the breakers power each outlet seperate. So if u turn one breaker off theupper plug turned off. And the second breaker turns the lower plug off. If u look on the side of the plug after u pull it out of the wall are the tabs that connect the 2 screw still in tack or are they broke. If the not attached this is why its on separate circuits. Previous owner could of had a fridge on its own circuit there and the other was for another set of plugs. Not sure if this helps.

if this is the case, be careful when wiring the new receptacle. Years ago, I was young and ignorant of the possibility of breaking that tab to service each outlet from different circuits. I replaced the receptacle, rewiring it exactly like the previous one and did not break the tab on the new one. When I flipped the breakers back on.....POOF. Bright flash, loud POP, and puff of smoke out of the service panel.

(I had many circuits tripped as I was replacing receptacles throughout the upstairs. I just so happened to have both circuits on that receptacle tripped, otherwise it could have been worse when I was rewiring it.......could have been worse......)

 

[coralreefer]

I have a master electrician friend. He warned me against installing a gfci, stating if it shuts off you'll lose a power to the tank. Understandable. That could create a problem when you're not home. Perhaps you could run power to another outlet away from the tank? Just a thought

On the other hand, if equipment fails and you stick your hand in the tank, a GFCI could save your life. Personally, I would put any equipment that touches water on a GFCI, and think of something else for power failures(Apex alarm, UPS, etc). Just running your pumps on a cheap UPS could go a long way towards protecting your tank.

As for why one outlet is wired to two breakers, that does seem very odd. However, if you don't want to change anything, replacing your existing outlet with a GFCI outlet should be fairly simple. They should wire up the same way.

Yeah for me a GFCI is the only way to go. I would rather lose some livestock or, more appropriately, have backups in place than lose my life. I even make sure my water storage containers are hooked up to GFCI. The complete ideal situation for me would be to have two different breakers for a tank in case one goes out and a battery backup for big emergencies. I can't for this one but will have an Apex to help out.

Do the breakers power each outlet seperate. So if u turn one breaker off theupper plug turned off. And the second breaker turns the lower plug off. If u look on the side of the plug after u pull it out of the wall are the tabs that connect the 2 screw still in tack or are they broke. If the not attached this is why its on separate circuits. Previous owner could of had a fridge on its own circuit there and the other was for another set of plugs. Not sure if this helps.

You may be getting a false positive on your circuit alert tester from a wire that runs through the wall behind the box but isn't in the box. Maybe, I am not so familiar with those testers other than I thought while tinkering with one once, I could get it to go off just by touching it to my finger.....

Plug in two lamps. One on each outlet on the receptacle, turn them on, now go trip breakers. If it still takes two, then you likely have something like reef junkie described going on.

if this is the case, be careful when wiring the new receptacle. Years ago, I was young and ignorant of the possibility of breaking that tab to service each outlet from different circuits. I replaced the receptacle, rewiring it exactly like the previous one and did not break the tab on the new one. When I flipped the breakers back on.....POOF. Bright flash, loud POP, and puff of smoke out of the service panel.

(I had many circuits tripped as I was replacing receptacles throughout the upstairs. I just so happened to have both circuits on that receptacle tripped, otherwise it could have been worse when I was rewiring it.......could have been worse......)

I haven't pulled the outlet yet and I clearly should do some more testing to see if any of these situations are what's going on. It is very possible that there is another wire in the area giving me a false positive. I am a novice when it comes to electrical work so I probably know just enough to be dangerous ha. Don't need any big poofs or worse so I will see what I can find with it tonight. If it's truly hooked up to one breaker then I will just wire it as is.

 

[Bschowa]

I also would definately go GFCI, saltwater conducts more than fresh so any stray current could be potentially deadly I would want that GFCI there

 

[coralreefer]

Finally got around to replacing the outlet with a GFCI today. I'm guessing there was another wire close by that was giving me a false positive with my circuit tester but I shut off both breakers during replacement just to be on the safe side. Nothing too out of the ordinary on this one. I saw some funky wiring situations with a google search going on in much older houses and I'm glad this wasn't the case.