Anyone ever have a GFCI circuit register normal, then when tripped with a testing device, register reverse polarity?
I had it happen to me today. All of the GFCI’s (exterior, garage, bathrooms) were tied to a single GFCI in the Hall Bath, which is normal. When I intentially tripped the exterior GFCI, it went directly to registering reversed.
All of the GFCI’s on that circuit registered reversed (garage and master bath). When I get up to the Hall Bath, I reset the tripped GFCI, then test it again. It registered “all green.” But, once I tripped it, it went back to reversed.
I’m not sure about the whole rev pol thing, but what I wonder about is having all those outlets tied together, seems a bit crowded to me (that’s definitely not “normal” in my parts).
Your three-light tester “reads” it as reverse polarity, but it’s actually just a bad reset. In this condition, if you had plugged in a SureTest, or some other device that needs a bit more current, the circuit would have tripped again.
Actually, some GFCI’s are tested and rated to allow up to 12 outlets downstream from one GFCI. You would have to turn on all the bath lights, receptacles, plug in a heater in the garage and runn a swimming pool motor off the circuit before a problem existed. (i am making a point, not quite literal)
