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Remodeling a kitchen and ran into an piece of romex coming out of a wall like an "extension cord" and came for advice on a previous post.

I moved the "extension cord" to the line of the GFCI outlet to protect it from GFCI in a future planned handy box under a sink and everything seemed correct. The "extension cord" was protected by the GFCI on box#1 and the light was protected by the GFCI on box#2 and both GFCI connected in Parallel to the mainline from the breaker.

Today I installed the sink cabinet and handy box inside it. enter image description here

Everything seemed fine until I was tighting down the outlet in the handy box and the GFCI in box#1 tripped as did the breaker in the panel. Unbeknownst to me the long screw I used broke the insulation on the neutral in the handybox.

I fixed the nicked neutral cable and reset the breaker and was litterally shocked by the handy box outlet dispite the upstream GFCI still being tripped.

I connected a testor and it read Hot Ground reversed at the Handy box.

I investigate everything and the hot/neutral/ground are wired correctly in the GFCI outlet in box#1 and the handybox. Based on a continuity test with my multimeter for hot/neutral/ground at and between both boxes there doesn't appear to be a short anywhere.

I tested the GFCI that feeds the Handybox and noticed when it's reset both the GFCI box#1 and the Handybox outlets read correctly but any time the GFCI in box#1 from either outlet the Handybox goes back to Hot Ground Reversed on the tester

I figured perhaps the GFCI or other outlet was damaged but they appear to test out correctly with my multimeter.

I am at a loss. I have seen other post about an open neutral but I have looked everywhere and don't see it or any other issues.

Any advice is apprciated.

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  • I edited the wiring diagram from my previous post to show the new wiring but just now realized that the diagram still shows the Light switch is pig tailed off of box#2 instead of showing it moved to the GFCI outlet. I did actually move the light to the GFCI outlet in box#2 though I doubt that is affecting this issue in anyway and not going to bother correcting it in the picture.
    – DVS
    Commented Mar 16 at 21:54
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    Those three light testers are okay for new connections, but not really good to find problems when things go wrong after. About the only thing they are good for in finding problems is to make you check with your eyes. A multi meter should read ~120v between hot and neutral and hot to ground, and ~0v between neutral and ground.
    – crip659
    Commented Mar 16 at 22:08
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    "I moved the "extension cord" to the line of the GFCI outlet to protect it from GFCI" That should have been on the Load side. Line side is not protected. It is always hot until the breaker is opened.
    – RMDman
    Commented Mar 16 at 23:20
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    If I understand the diagram correctly, you have breaker -> Line of GFCI 1, Load of GFCI 2, Switch/light. That makes no sense. Or it is to Load of GFCI 1, Line of GFCI 2, Switch/light - which also makes no sense. There is no standard as to Line vs. Load location on GFCI/receptacles but assuming you have two of the same, something ain't right.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Mar 17 at 0:39
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    I ran to local box store and picked up a new 20A GFCI outlet and 20A outlet. This is all wired 12/2 Romex on a 20A breaker. Threw both new outlets on and everything worked without any issues. Knowing that everything was working again I swapped back in each of the old outlets 1 at a time and discovered that the old GFCI outlet was faulty and causing the Hot Ground Reverese when ever it trips. If anyone wants to write an answer based on these comments and conclude with replacing outlets I will accept it as the answer. Also thanks to everyone for the various troubleshooting suggestions.
    – DVS
    Commented Mar 17 at 2:08

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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Ultimately this came down to a Bad GFCI outlet.

When I nicked the neutral screwing in the outlet it tripped the GFCI and ultimately damaged the GFCI outlet. The GFCI outlet worked when it was not tripped but when it tripped it didn't fully disconnect properly.

Replacing the GFCI outlet resolved everything in the end.

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