QUESTION FROM Chris

I have a circuit in my new house (constructed in 2007) that includes a gas fire place. I added a dimmer switch in the kitchen and needed to test a few breakers to find the right circuit and now the circuit with the gas fire place is out, even though all the breakers are in the right "on" position. The separate circuit that I installed the dimmer on works fine. I suspect that there may be a GFI breaker somewhere around the fire place. Any idea if I am on the right track? Do gas fire places come with a GFI and do I just need to find it, or is something else going on? If the GFI box is in/near the fire place where would it be? Could it be that one of my breakers has failed? Any suggestions?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Chris:

Yes, some models of gas fireplaces do have a built-in GFI in them, but they are usually outdoor models. If you have the owner's manual for your fireplace, it should tell you whether or not it has one. Or you can maybe download an owner's manual for your particular unit from the manufacturer's website.

But when you say you needed to test a few breakers, what did you do to test them? Did you just turn the breakers off and then right back on?

Depending on what you did to the circuit that the gas fireplace is on, it is possible that it may have damaged the circuit breaker. Here is a webpage that describes how to test a circuit breaker:

http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Testing_Circuit_Breakers-Electrical_Boxes_and_Wiring-F2234.html

Please note that you should be VERY CAREFUL working around any of the electrical wiring in your home. And unless you are completely confident in what you are doing, we recommend bringing in a trained professional.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com