We recently had a GFCI outlet installed in the back of the house for external use. We also had a GFCI installed in the circuit breaker because of that. When the GFCI on the circuit breaker is in the ON position, the outlet won't work. But when it is set in the OFF position, the outlet works. According to the electrician, we should only have either a GFCI on the breaker or the outlet but not both. Is that correct? Also, if you can have both GFCI outlet and breaker, does anyone have any advise as to how to solve the problem above? Thank you in advance.

Well depending on how you have the circuit wired, you don't even need the breaker.

Your GFCI outlet will protect everything beyond this in the circuit if wired properly, if you only have outside outlets on this circuit then you only need the GFCI outlet as the first one in the line :)

No, you should not have both a GFCI breaker and a GFI outlet. The reason however, is because of false trips. The installed the breaker must be on and the GFI circuitry not tripped to have voltage at the outlet. If the breaker is on and the GFI circuity is sensing a ground fault, (even if it is false) and you have voltage at the outlet something is wrong.

I was wondering if I read that correctly, did a licensed electriction do the work?

First of all, thank you both for your replies. You've been very helpful.

Second, yes a licenced electrician did the work. But we had an inspection done and the inspector said that both the breaker and outlet had to be installed and that if the breaker is set to ON, the outlet should still be working. So I don't know if it's a misunderstanding on the inspector's part or not because the electrician is saying he did it correctly.

I don't understand how the outlets are working while the breaker is in the off position, something is wrong/backwards. Anything wired to that breaker should not work while in the off position

I agree. Something does not sound right. There is NO WAY the receptacle can work if the breaker feeding it is off.
There is more to this story than we know.

If I may ask. WHAT inspector said you need both a GFI breaker and a GFI receptacle??
Please don't tell me a home inspector. :rolleyes:

Only thing I can think of is that the electrican wired this feeding off two circuits, but the outlets don't work when the breaker is ON??

We have an older home and had a contractor build an extension. We had to get licencing, permits, etc through the city. After just about every step, such as frames going up, internal wiring, etc, an inspector from the city was sent to make sure the work was up to code. Everything passed except for the one external outlet. According to the inspector, city code states we're supposed to have GFI in the circuit breaker and the external outlet. When he set the breaker to ON position and tested the outlet, there was nothing coming through. When he set the breaker to OFF, then the outlet worked.

So should it be the opposite? If the breaker is set to OFF, nothing should be coming through the outlet?

Thanks again everyone for your help.

And just think guys, this project was inspected. LOL

Yes, the city inspector inspected it and won't pass it. The electrician is at odds with the inspector and insisting it's correct while the inspector is saying it isn't. :( I thought I'd come here to pose the question before I hired another electrician to check the problem.

Can we get a picture of this breaker? Is it possible you're reading it wrong?

Off should damn well mean off.

According to the inspector, city code states we're supposed to have GFI in the circuit breaker and the external outlet.


Suggest that you call the city and verify that statemant.




because the electrician is saying he did it correctly.

No matter what he says, if there is power to the outlet with the breaker in the off position he didn't do it right. I can't imagine what he could have done to have created such situation.

Can you pull the cover to the circuit panel and tell how the breaker is wired?

I suspect that the inspector is incorrect about the dual gfci's. And the electrician should know better... or the information is a bit foggy. Have the building department show you the wording for the gfci's. I would bet it's being mis-understood.