New construction

Inspected a house yesterday - the kitchen has 2 GFCI outlets - one of the won’t reset without resetting the other outlet - can they be tied together?

You can install multiple GFIs on the same circuit, but if wired properly there is no need. Downstream receptacles can be regual duplexes if wired from the LOAD terminals on the upstream GFI. You could also just use the LINE terminals and make each receptacle a GFI. That way if it trips it is near the point of use and you do not need to look elsewhere.

Did the kitchen have another 20 amp small appliance branch circuit?

The other strange thing is when I tested the upstairs bathrooms - they tripped but I couldn’t find a reset anywhere in the house or panel - thoughts?

I have often found them to be connected to an exterior outlet.

Really - So if you trip one , you have to go outside to reset - that shouldn’t be in code - saftey issues.

Greg - the same house has a hipped roof and the truss run parallel to the wall - the sheathing is not flush with the truss - thoughts?

Some GFCIs are in the garage for the bathroom outlets etc… Just so they are present

The OP stated new construction. Bathroom receptacle circuits have not been allowed to be shared outside of bathrooms for quite a few code cycles. Without looking back this probably changed back in the 90’s.

Jim my house is 1997 and when I built in the early 2000s they were shared. Down here I belive it was enforced mid 2000s ?

In the 1987 Canadian Electrical Code (CEC- our model document), the receptacles for bathrooms/washrooms were split from other GFCI protected circuits. Prior to that point, the only requirements for CFCI protection were for exterior/bath/washroom receptacles and all (up to 8) could be on the same GFCI protected circuit). The problem was that folks would wake up in the morning after heavy rains, wind or fog to find the circuit tripped by moisture at an exterior receptacle and no power at bath receptacles .

problem was that folks would wake up in the morning after heavy rains, wind or fog to find the circuit tripped by moisture at an exterior receptacle and no power at bath receptacles .

That just happened at my house the GFCI is in the garage

Where was the moisture from… or some other type of nuisance trip?

My wife has some lights on the Lanai with a timer. We had a blowing rain hit the outlet 4’ under the OVH.

Yep.

quite right, as its safer too to put all the connectors outside of home.

Since we’re speaking of new construction, often the GFCI protection is located in the bedroom closets.

Take a look at the closet walls, about 12 to 16 inches off of the floor for bathroom GFCI protection.

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Yep. More than once that is were is found one like that for the adjacent bathroom and hydro tub.

Occasionally I find the GFCI recp. for a hydro tub in the garage but about 6 foot up the wall while the rest are at normal height. Been finding them in closets as well. And a few still being stuffed inside the cavity under the tub behind a stud so you can’t reset it without being a contortionist.

Really? Why would someone do this for the regular bathroom receptacles? I can see this being done for a hydromassage tub since the GFCI protection device is now required to be readily accessible. In the old days we just put a GFCI receptacle under the tub. IMO hydromassage tub GFCI protection in the back of a closet probably wouldn’t be readily accessible by the NEC definition.

I can’t tell you why, but it’s quite common to have two of these next to each other in the closet. One will be for the hydro-spa and the other for the counter top receptacles.