GFCI outlet

[EternalArianne]

I found out one of the outlets in my living room didn't have any ground. I removed the outlet and found the ground wire was broken off and too short to reconnect. The wiring is very short so I can't pull any more through to trim back and reconnect ground.

So I replaced it with a GFCI outlet for safety and when I turned the breaker back on, the outlet immediately tripped and showing a constant red LED. I pressed the reset button and the outlets works, but the red LED remains. The test and reset buttons no longer function either (nothing happens when I press either), but the outlet itself works. What could be wrong?

[adnadeau]

A GFCI uses the ground wire for its self-test & for the TEST button. The red LED probably means that the GFCI failed its test. Can you use a short piece of bare wire & a wire nut to extend the ground wire?

[EternalArianne]

The ground wire is broke off pretty far back so there's no way of extending it that I can see. I could run as separate ground wire down the hole and ground it somewhere but the GFCI seemed a simpler solution.

If a GFCI is supposed to show a fault due to no ground, will it still trip if there ever is an actual ground fault? I'm just worried if it doesn't, then it's no better than the plain outlet I took out...

[adnadeau]

A GFCI senses a difference in current between the hot wire (black) & the neutral (white), causing it to trip when current on the hot wire leaks to ground because of a short circuit. The equipment ground wire only comes into play for a GFCI test.

[EternalArianne]

Ok so it should still trip if there is an actual fault. That's good

[adnadeau]

One more thing: you need to label the outlet "No Equipment Ground". Here's the applicable National Electrical Code paragraph.