diy solar

diy solar

gfci outlet - did i break it?

starchy

New Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2021
Messages
121
i didn't realize the screws weren't meant to come out and i guess i forced it with an impact driver / screw driver attachment. doesn't seem to wanna thread back in. also, i'm not sure i can even use these with stranded wire? the screws don't pop out at all - they're just mean to close an open a these lil holes that seem meant for solid wire. maybe i could make the stranded wire work with ferrules? here's what i have:



PXL_20220505_203316503.jpg

PXL_20220505_203333260.jpg
 
oh, i did break it but it's cool cuz it's the ground wire and my van solar system doesn't have a ground anyway. also, i guess i can make these connectors work with these crimps:
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20220505_214726862.jpg
    PXL_20220505_214726862.jpg
    105.3 KB · Views: 1
The screws an most electrical receptacles are set up so they don't unscrew all the way, fall out and get lost. The factory usually squeezes the threads at the very end, once forced out its difficult to re-thread. Most GFI's like the one shown are called Back-Wire devices and they have a clamping plate inside so either solid or stranded wire should work just fine. Its the junky side wire receptacles where the wire has to go under the screw head that don't work well with stranded wire.
 
File the end of the screw threads with a tiny file to repair the smashed threads & clean it. Make sure you're not adding any more metal shavings to the inside of the GFCI.
 
oh, i did break it but it's cool cuz it's the ground wire and my van solar system doesn't have a ground anyway. also, i guess i can make these connectors work with these crimps:

I have an Rv that ones with GFCI outlets which use all three wires, so I would say you would need to use all three wires. The grounds in vehicles are connected at some point to the chassis. I’m pretty sure the ground wire is an essential part to the GFCI working properly. I would not be surprised if the GFCI LED would glow red and not work if disconnected, but that I don’t know.

i am not an electrician, but I have never seen connectors used on any of the dozens of outlets and light switches I have repaired. The wire was always looped around the screw. The only time I crimped anything on the AC side was when the instruction manual said so such as wire end caps or ring terminals in an inverter hard wiring, nothing to do with a gfci outlet.
 
Back
Top