Electrical experts:  I installed a GFCI outlet in my daughter's bathroom a couple of years ago, and the way I installed it, it also protects the outlets in her bedroom, which are on the same circuit.  Not a problem until...

Now I have her bearded dragon (aka, Chuck Norris) in her room, with his 150W heat bulb running off this circuit.  The problem is anytime the GFCI trips, it shuts off the dragon's lamp and timer.  I don't want this to happen because his lamp is essential for his health, and needs to be reliably on per the timer.  How can I rewire the back of the GFCI outlet so that the downstream outlets are NOT protected?  I have long since thrown away the instructions for the GFCI.  I remember their being LINE and LOAD connections but I need it simplified for me.  Thanks!

I'm not an electrician, but I work with electricity every day at work. You have your power coming into the gfci and then you have your wires on the load side going out to the rest of the circuit. Move your load wires to the line side of the receptacle. Test it out when done by tripping the gfci, and make sure you lost power at that outlet and kept it elsewhere

I am also not an electrician, but I would have thought to make a pigtail in the box and connect the outlet via the pigtails, that essentially makes it independent from the rest of the circuit.

Will probably end up in the diy electrical pet peeve thread

pigtail

Snicker!

This totally worked, thanks!  Seems so simple in hindsight.

This is so simple that if you need to ask how to do it you shouldn't be doing it at all.

NO.   Fuck No.

OP, I assume you want the protection from potentially lethal shocks provided by a GFCI receptacle.   Reversing them like this not only removes the protection in your bathroom, but falsely implies to anyone and subsequent owners, that it is protected.

Please pigtail as described elsewhere if proper wiring and life safety are a concern.

Pigtailing is better imho but using the clamping holes (not stabs ins) there are a pair of wire insert holes for
A Reason.   You should not stack wires under a terminal screw.

To resume gfci in the circuit you can put another gfci in downstream of your duplex for the Chinese buffet snack lamp.

I also would be looking into why you are getting frequent trips.   That is called
A CLUE.   Perhaps you're overloading the circuit.   Is it a 20 amp
Circuit?  Are the wires of sufficient gage?   Sometimes special function circuitry in appliances act like a ground fault for a micro second and trip
The gfci.

Edit2. Yep a gfci trip should be from power outbound not the same as power return; ie a ground
Fault/ short/ leak.   Standard breaker box breakers are for overload protection.


Edit -
I like pigtailing and sometimes it's just extra work.  My brother is the real electrician in the family and avoids pigtailing outlets.  

The downside is it Does need more room in the box.  It wasn't needed for the gfci I used first on the circuit line in, load side and done.  Withe the bulky size of the device I wouldn't want to stuff the extra wires and nuts in there.   My ordinary duplexes down the line were pigtailed.   Another downside with pigtailing is you're more apt to have a loose wire in a nut compared to back of the device connections.  Two wires will easily feel solid while your third is
Not.  Tug all wires to make Sure.

Overloads do not affect GFCI's but you've helped clarify a misunderstanding.  When I read the initial post I head "swap the load side and line side feeds" which is not what Coble said.

I don't see a problem with using a terminal obviously engineered for two conductors in the manner you describe and this would leave the Bathroom receptacle protected.  We should consider deleting both of these posts for clarity.

No need to pigtail. Most GFCI outlets have a proper terminal set up for 2 sets of #14-12 AWG to properly attach.

why is your gfci tripping?

yeah theres something wrong with that lamp...

This.

You may have gotten rid of the symptom of a dangerous situation.

I've had a lot of people ask me to remove the GFI receptacle because "It keeps tripping for no reason."  Oddly enough, there is always something that is making it trip for no reason that also trips on another GFCI protected circuit.

I think if you look back at  my posts in this forum you will find that I give advice and try to be helpful but this isn't like changing the plugs in your car where if you mess up your car doesn't run right. We are talking about something that can kill someone or burn down the op's house. I only stated the way I felt especially since the GFIC is labeled line and load. How would you be helping the op if while following your suggestions he gets shocked to death or shorts something out and sets his home on fire.

I suspect it could be the timer or thermostat device itself spoofing the gfci.  Momentary inequity is all it takes.

Is it something that can get your daughter killed because you bypassed the safety device?

Or an extention cord...

Extension cords are neither intended, nor listed for permanent use (typically greater than 90 days). Not saying I haven't done it, just saying that it's not up to code.

ETA: As others have pointed out, you should really try to solve the tripping issue. Can you plug the lamp/timer into another GFCI somewhere else in the house to see if it trips? You can also replace the bathroom GFCI and wire it exactly the same. They can wear out over time.

I would be a lot more concerned with this.

Especially around a fish tank.

bathroom and bedroom on the same circuit? Shouldn't the bathroom GFCI/Outlets technically be on it own 20amp circuit?

J-

Per most recent NEC, yes. However, it depends what version of NEC was in effect when that circuit was installed.

My home from the late 80's has three GFCI daisy-chained circuits that go from laundry-bathroom-outdoor kitchen and bathroom-bathroom or bathroom-bedroom-bathroom

Works fine I guess

Code is ever changing.  Some is silly.  Like e.g. Gfci's on the garage ceiling for door openers.  Even on the same circuit I read it as both (all) outlets had to be gfci devices and not just gfci protected.

All receptacles are outlets but not all outlets are receptacles.

Garage doors are required to be protected just not by ceiling mounted GFCI receptacles anymore
A new requirement addresses the accessibility of the test and reset functions of GFCI devices.

2011 NEC 210.8 GFCI Protection. Ground-fault circuit interruption for personnel must be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (C). The Ground-fault circuit-interrupter device must be installed at a readily accessible location.

Analysis: The Code previously didn't address the accessibility of the test and reset functions of GFCI devices. This presents two problems: First, building owners are subjected to the inconvenience of using ladders (or less safe devices) to reach the reset button should a GFCI device trip. Secondly, the listing standards of GFCIs require that they be tested on a monthly basis. While it's true that many people don't test their GFCI devices, some who would perform such tests won't go through the extra effort of finding a ladder to access these devices if they aren't readily accessible.

Oh, fine! First it was "Don't take the tag off of the mattress!"
Then, my air chuck manufacturer wants me to oil it "daily," disregarding that I only use it once every two years.

Now, there's this... I need to test my GFCI outlets every month!!! Like I don't have enough to do with the other two.... It's maddening, I tell ya.

Now available for The Hi-Speed, Low Drag Operators who ain't got no time for that sh*t!

I can see the need for these types of changes....the GFCI outlets with wet in-use covers in my roof soffits for Xmas lights and cameras are a PITA to reset if I ever needed to