GFCI outlet not working? What to check first.

GFCI outlets, the ones with TEST and RESET buttons, protect you from electric shock in places where water and electricity can meet. When one stops working, the fix is often simple. Here's how to work through it.

What a GFCI outlet does

A GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) continuously measures the electrical current flowing out through the hot wire and returning through the neutral wire. If it detects even a small difference between the two, it quickly shuts off power to help prevent electric shock. That's why code requires GFCI protection in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, laundry areas, outdoors, and near sinks.

Step 1: Press RESET firmly

Push the RESET button all the way in until it clicks and stays. If it pops right back out, keep going with the steps below.

Step 2: Check the breaker

A GFCI can't reset without power. Look at your panel for a tripped breaker on that circuit and reset it. If the breaker keeps tripping, read our guide on why a breaker keeps tripping.

Step 3: Find the other GFCI on the circuit

One GFCI outlet can protect several regular outlets downstream from it. If a regular outlet in a bathroom, garage, or on the patio has no power, the GFCI controlling it may be in a different room. Check every GFCI in the bathrooms, kitchen, garage, laundry room, and outside, and press RESET on each.

Step 4: Look for moisture

Water is the most common reason a GFCI trips. Outdoor outlets after a rainstorm, a damp garage, or a splash near a sink can all cause it. If an outlet box is wet, let it dry completely and check that the weatherproof cover closes properly before you reset it.

Step 5: Unplug everything and test again

A worn appliance cord or a tool with a damaged motor can leak current and trip the GFCI. Unplug everything, reset the outlet, then plug devices back in one at a time. If one device trips it every time, the problem is the device.

What the indicator lights mean

• Green light on: the outlet has power and protection is working.
• No light: on some models this is normal. On others it means the outlet has no power, so check the breaker and other GFCIs.
• Red or amber light: on some models this means the outlet has tripped, so press RESET. If the light stays on or keeps blinking after a reset, the outlet may have failed its self-test or be wired incorrectly, and it usually needs replacing.

Light colors vary by brand, so check the label on the outlet or the manufacturer's instructions.

When the GFCI is the problem

GFCI outlets wear out. If one won't reset even though it has power, or trips with nothing plugged in, it may have reached the end of its life. Press TEST once a month: the RESET button should pop out. If it doesn't, the outlet isn't protecting you and should be replaced.

A GFCI that was just installed and won't work may be wired with the incoming power on the wrong terminals, called a line-load reversal. That needs an electrician to correct.

When to call an electrician

• The outlet won't reset after you've checked the breaker and other GFCIs
• It trips again and again with nothing plugged in
• You see scorch marks, smell burning, or the outlet feels warm
• Several outlets in different rooms are dead
• Your kitchen, bathrooms, garage, or outdoor outlets don't have GFCI protection

Koryente repairs and replaces outlets and switches, adds GFCI protection where it's missing, and handles electrical troubleshooting across North Texas.