Verify that it was the Counter Top Oven that is the cause pf all the problems.

If it is.....Throw it away as bompa suggested.

I'm convinced it's the Counter Top Toaster Oven as there was NEVER anything else connected to this GFCI.

Bob I'll heed your warning and put my sledge hammer to it and then give it to the local scraper. Your safety warning is well noted. THANKS

Oldman, try it on a different GFCI plug. Could be a weak GFCI as you say nothing else was connected to that GFCI plug. Costs you nothing but a few minutes to try it and is a quick cheap controlled way to check to see if it is the toaster oven or the GFCI plug.

Posted By jdeere on 06-17-2012 09:19 AM
Oldman, try it on a different GFCI plug. Could be a weak GFCI as you say nothing else was connected to that GFCI plug. Costs you nothing but a few minutes to try it and is a quick cheap controlled way to check to see if it is the toaster oven or the GFCI plug.

Excellent point, Bart. 

EDIT  ---  Barry, just out of curiousity, are your GFCI receptacles the type that turn on a little tiny light in their face when they are tripped?  Most new ones now do.  The newer ones really are much better than those made ten years ago.   

Bob:
No light and my wife thinks it's been close to 14 or 15 yrs. since I did the kitchen tear out and complete remodel. Think I should change them out for new ones????

Posted By Oldman on 06-17-2012 06:34 PM
Bob:
No light and my wife thinks it's been close to 14 or 15 yrs. since I did the kitchen tear out and complete remodel. Think I should change them out for new ones????

     Change all of them in the entire house in and out..........

Posted By Oldman on 06-17-2012 06:34 PM
Bob:
No light and my wife thinks it's been close to 14 or 15 yrs. since I did the kitchen tear out and complete remodel. Think I should change them out for new ones????

Barry, I would definitely recommend that you replace both of the GFCI receptacles we have been talking about plus any other old ones you have in your kitchen.  In 2006 Underwriter Laboratories published a new version of their UL943 Safety Standard for GFCI receptacles and everything built since then is a very much better product in my opinion.  After 30 years of GFCI problems they finally seem to have gotten it right.  Because they are better and less prone to false tripping the National Electrical Code has extended their use to more areas. 

In what you have written in this 'thread', you seemed to indicate that both of the receptacles we have been talking about are on the same circuit from the panel.  Is that really true?  (I am pretty sure you stated that the one in the backsplash was 'downstream' from the other.  To me that would imply it is on the same circuit.)  Since the kitchen requires two 20 amp circuits for small appliances and they must be GFCI type, most kitchens have only two GFCI receptacles and they are on separate circuits.  (One is not "downstream" from the other.)  Each of those, in turn, protects a string of ordinary three-prong receptacles.  Yours may be wired differently (thus requiring more than two GFCIs), but that is the situation that is found in most kitchens.

Bompa:
I'll follow your advice and replace the two GFCI receptacles in the kitchen. Yes they are both on the same circuit. Transferring the second one would be quite a project due to confined work space. I am going right past the Elec. Supply Store (WINNS) so it looks like I'm purchasing new GFCI receptacles.
I just double ck.ed how many I have and noticed the one in the downstairs full bath has a GFCI with a "small light" as you previously described. The others don't. This bath re-modeling was done more recent than the kitchen. Should I keep that one?

Barry,

Some of the 'old' ones also had a light but they usually worked differently. The light was actually ON when things were normal and went OFF when it tripped. Newer ones are opposite that. The light comes ON when things trip or the unit fails. The newer way makes more sense. The light catches your attentiion to tell you something is wrong.

You, of course, don't have to replace any at all. But my advice would be to replace even the one in the bath if its light is on when things are normal.

Bob:
The light is "NOT" on during normal operation. I pushed the Test switch and it comes on. So it looks like this is a newer model??? Bob I have (7) GFCI receptacles through out the house. Inside and out. I know it could get pricey but I'm willing to spend the money to protect my family and home. I would feel terrible I something went wrong because I went "Cheap".

As always...THANKS
Barry

Barry,

You have a good attitude about all of this. But I don't want to cause you to go to needless expense and trouble.

Just use good judgement about which, if any, to replace. I'll try to present both sides of the picture and you decide.

1. When I said the new ones are better, I didn't necessarily mean safer against shock. What I meant was more reliable and less likely to cause trouble by tripping when they shouldn't. The older ones were particularly bad on protecting anything that has a motor which starts and stops, like a freezer. (spoiled food problem)

2. The argument from the other side --- Some people say the electronics have a limited life and eventually should be replaced. But no one seems to have an guidance as to how long is reasonable. The place where most people experience failures seems to be in outdoor installations. (There now are ones rated for outdoors and most of the newest ones you buy will have a lable that says not to install outdoors. Needless to say, the outdoor ones are more expensive.) The outdoor failure thing seems to be mostly related to cold and condensation. Oddly the same units seem to hold up quite well in a bathroom situation where condensation is clearly evident.

Hope this helps with making your decisions.

EDIT  ---  Yes, it sound like your one in the bathroom meets the newest UL943 Safety Standard. 

Bob:
Once again I thank you for providing me (and the rest of the Family) with good insight to what we need to look for when dealing with elec. problems and equipment. Some us can repair anything mechanical or structural (Me) but when it comes to Electrical I'm the Dunce in the corner. I appreciate your taking the time to help me through this problem as I know there are many other members reading these post who never contribute. Check out the "VIEWS" and the response #'s. The ONE time posters who get their answer then disappear. Ok I'm getting off my soap box about these no-participating members with negative views.
The Family of Friends will always be there for those who need our help!!!!!!\
I give what I can and take what I need.