GFCI Outlet Problem

[Large Wooden Badger]

I have a GFCI outlet in garage. It also controls another outlet in garage and an outside outlet by front door and one by back door.

Noticed the outlet out back wasn't working. Went to reset GFCI and it wouldn't. I had a recent failure on the GFCI one by the pool equipment so I assumed I would just replace it. I did and it trips and resets, all is good, has the little indicator light. But if I plug something into it it doesn't work. Did some looking and the other outlet in garage is all burnt up. Major failure, and hasn't been used recently. So I inspect it all, wire insulation is melted up by ends but enough slack to cut the damage off and install a new outlet.

Still no go. What next? Replace the breaker? I had a breaker fail on the pool equipment about six months ago. Seems odd that would be the case, but then again it didn't trip when the outlet burned up. But yet the indicator light is working on GFCI outlet so that appears to indicate power?

I'm stumped before calling an electrician I thought I would go ahead and replace breaker. House is about 15 years old.

And I don't know what caused the issue in the first place. We have had some storms recently.

[Snipe Hunter]

You could swap a breaker from another circuit to test it.
Have you done any work in the garage or near the wiring on that circuit... like running screws or nails into a wall?

[Large Wooden Badger]

Nope. Haven't touched anything related to it. Seems odd I would be losing circuit breakers lately.

[Snipe Hunter]

Knowing that the GFCI is the first one in the circuit, I'd probably turn off the breaker and temporarily replace it with a "known to be good breaker". Take out all receptacles down the line, including the GFCI. Check the wires from the breaker to the GFCI. Hot to gnd, hot to neut for a short. Then reconnect a "known to be good" receptacle or GFCI to the supply wires. Test the outlet. If it all tests out ok, turn the breaker back off and install a new receptacle next in line remembering to check those wires for a short first. You do have a muti-meter?. Flip on the breaker and see what happens. If all checks out ok, shut off the breaker and install the next receptacle after checking those wires for a short and see what happen... and so on till everything is reconnected. If it works, you fixed it. If something fails along the line, it's the wiring between the last installed receptacle and the one before it.

I'm no electrician but it's how I would do it.

[Snipe Hunter]

Nope. Haven't touched anything related to it.  Seems odd I would be losing circuit breakers lately.

What kind of panel is it?

Some panels have known problems where the breakers don't trip and they either cook the panel or cook something down the line. Federal Pacific "Stab Lock" and Zinsco have quite a history of failure.

Our last home had a Cutler Hammer (sp?) 200 amp panel from 1978. I replaced the water heater breaker and a couple others within about a two year period. I would swap one breaker for another to test them.

[Large Wooden Badger]

It's a cutler hammer from about 2001 or so

[Herb G]

You probably crossed the load & line wires on the new gfic when you installed it.
Turn off the power & separate the wires. Turn the power back on & determine which ones have power to them.
That's the line side. The other wires are the load side. It sounds like you switched a neutral to me on the gfic when you reinstalled it.

[JGrout]

You probably crossed the load & line wires on the new gfic when you installed it.
Turn off the power & separate the wires. Turn the power back on & determine which ones have power to them.
That's the line side. The other wires are the load side. It sounds like you switched a neutral to me on the gfic when you reinstalled it.

+1 easy to do as a first step

[Large Wooden Badger]

Cool I will check that first.

[TDKPE]

Did some looking and the other outlet in garage is all burnt up. Major failure, and hasn't been used recently.    So I inspect it all, wire insulation is melted up by ends but enough slack to cut the damage off and install a new outlet.

This part is a bit distressing.  By any chance, is that receptacle one of the $1 builder specials with backstab connections that contractors love to use on new residential construction?  With the circuit passing through the receptacle rather than pigtailed?  A loose connection, or wimpy or fatigued (from heat cycles) contacts inside the receptacle, can cause a lot of heating and eventually cause much damage.  A CB too 'large' for the conductors can also be a problem, even though 15A receptacles are designed for 20A pass-through.  

The rest is a matter of verifying correct hot/neutral and line/load connection.  It's a bit puzzling that the light is on, but it won't support a load.  New GFCI's are supposed to not reset at all if line/load are reversed, though older ones may reset but not protect.