GFCI Outlets are specialized electrical power outlets. These outlets prevent electrical shock and fires. There are many ways to set up a GFCI at your home or office.
You may ask if two GFCI Outlets can be on the same circuit or not. Let us help you find the answer you are looking for and provide you with some additional necessary information.
Can Two GFCI Outlets Be On The Same Circuit?
Two GFCI Outlets can be on the same circuit. GFCI circuits are rated to be connected on the same circuit depending on the provided electrical load of the circuit that the outlet is connected on. Based on the delivered load, you can connect two or more GFCI outlets on the same circuit.
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GFCI outlets are sockets to provide electricity to the connected appliance. Although this may look like a usual outlet to provide electricity, this outlet in specific has a special feature. A GFCI outlet has a unique feature to prevent electrical shocks.
The outlet is basically connected with a ground connection. Whenever the outlet detects a surge of electricity at the output of the socket, it instantly enables its safety feature.
As a result, the additional electricity is passed to the ground wire and the user who might have got shocked would be safe.
When the safety feature goes off, you need to keep in mind that you will have to press the reset button afterwards. If you do not press the reset button, the outlet will not deliver any electricity to the connected appliance. The reset button is usually found on the outlet body.
In your house or commercial building, you may have multiple GFCI outlets. GFCI outlets are becoming popular in homes and commercial buildings for its safety feature.
GFCI outlets come in different shapes and can support various socket types according to the model that you will use.
In a circuit, you may use two GFCI outlets on a circuit. To be more precise, you may use two or more GFCI outlets in a circuit. But there are some facts that you have to keep in mind while connecting two or more GFCI outlets on the same circuit.
At first, the load on the circuit must be adequate to the total output of the connected GFCI outlets. If this is not maintained, the GFCI outlets may not provide the necessary electrical load to the connected appliances.
If one GFCI outlet is down on the circuit, the other GFCI outlets may go down until you reset the downed GFCI outlet.
Is it ok to have multiple GFCI outlets on one circuit?
It is ok to have multiple GFCI outlets on one circuit. A circuit is basically a connection for a particular room, home or building. Currently, electricians are seen to make separate circuits for each room and then connect them to the main circuit.
This helps to narrow down any possible issues on an electrical circuit.
In a circuit, there may be multiple electrical components. Among them, GFCI circuits are commonly seen. You may connect various GFCI circuits on one circuit. It is a common practice nowadays in new buildings.
It is also recommended by the GFCI outlet manufacturer and is declared safe to do.
The number of GFCI outlets that can be on one circuit starts from two to any number. But you have to keep in mind that the circuit you are connecting the GFCI outlets on needs to have the necessary power.
If the power is less than the requirement, the GFCI outlets will fail to power the connected appliances properly.
How many GFCI outlets can you have on the same circuit?
You can have two to any number of GFCI outlets on the same circuit. Multiple GFCI outlets can be used on the same circuit. There are no specific numbers of GFCI outlets that you may use on a circuit.
All the GFCI circuits that you will use on a circuit will be connected in a series connection. This means you will have to connect all the GFCI outlets one after another. You may also use a parallel connection to connect all the GFCI outlets.
It depends on your requirement and the load you will need on the outlet of the GFCI outlet.
But the number of GFCI outlets can be limited based on the load available on the circuit. If the circuit does not have the required load for all the connected GFCI outlets, then the outlets will not be able to provide the appropriate amount of electricity to the connected appliance.
To fix this, you will either have to increase the load on the circuit or decrease the number of GFCI outlets on the circuit.
3 reasons why you can put 2 GFCI outlets in one circuit
There are multiple reasons why you can put 2 GFCI outlets in one circuit. If you want to know, here are 3 noteworthy reasons why you can put 2 GFCI outlets on one circuit:
Access to additional connections:
If you use 2 GFCI outlets in one circuit, It can provide you with additional sockets to use. Usually, GFCI outlets have a few sockets. But if you need more sockets to connect your other appliances and devices to power them, using 2 GFCI outlets in a circuit is ideal.
Reduced load on other circuits:
2 GFCI outlets in one circuit may reduce the load on other circuits of your building. If you need multiple GFCI circuits and use them in one circuit, the additional load is put on only one circuit.
Therefore, the other connections of the house will not be affected by the additional load.
Not only that, this reduces the required electrical load requirement on other circuits as well. Using 2 GFCI circuits means that you may need more electrical load on one particular circuit.
But the other circuits will be intact and will not require any additional power to operate.
To save money:
You can save some money by using two GFCI outlets on one circuit. If you use two GFCI on one circuit, this means that you will not have to make another circuit for using one more outlet. Therefore, you will not have to purchase a lot of additional wires.
You can connect two GFCI outlets on the same circuit using a simple 2-wire Romex cable with ground. This wire is cheap and can be found at any electrical store. You will not need any other materials. As a result, you will save a lot of money.
How do you wire two GFCI outlets on the same circuit?
You can wire two GFCI outlets on the same circuit using various methods and ways. Among them, let us help you know the most straightforward steps to wire two GFCI outlets on the same circuit with the least amount of hassle:
Find the Load and Line connectors on the existing GFCI outlet:
Open the existing GFCI outlet from its housing by removing the screws of the socket. Check the labels on the outlet. Find the connectors which are connected to the circuit. It is usually labeled as LINE.
Connect a wire with the existing wire:
Get a 2-wire Romex with the ground. This wire is ideal for wiring GFCI outlets. Connect the positive and negative wires with the existing wires. Use electrical tape to secure the ends of the connection points. Connect the ground wire as well.
After that, attach the outlet to the box again using screws.
Wire the new GFCI outlet with the loose wire:
Connect the other part of the wire to the new GFCI outlet. The wires need to connect to the LINE labeled part of the new outlet. Secure the connections properly using screws. Connect the ground wire as well.
Secure the newly placed GFCI outlet in the box using screws.
Can you daisy chain GFCI outlets?
Yes, you can daisy chain GFCI outlets. Daisy chain is a type of connection method that is commonly used in wiring outlets or switches of a building. Daisy chain connection is a wiring scheme that connects multiple electrical components in a sequence.
As it looks similar to a daisy, it is called a daisy chain. It is also called a garland of daisy flowers.
The Daisy chain is an ideal method for connecting multiple GFCI outlets on a circuit. But this method of connection can not provide any additional safety to the user. As this connection is similar to a series connection, it can be expected to work just like that as well.
Final Thoughts
Two GFCI outlets can be connected on the same circuit. There will be no safety issues or any severe issues. But you must check if the load on the circuit is enough for the two GFCI outlets. If it does not meet the requirement, connecting two GFCI outlets on the same circuit is not ideal.