GFCI Outlet Won't Reset? Why the Outlets Went Dead, What to Check, and When to Call an Electrician

A GFCI outlet, the kind with TEST and RESET buttons, cuts the power when current leaks through a path it shouldn't take, such as water or a person. When one trips, it can take other outlets with it, sometimes in another room, so a bathroom, garage, or porch can go dead with no breaker tripped. Usually RESET brings everything back. When RESET won't stay in, or the GFCI trips again right away, it is telling you something: no power is reaching it, a fault is still on the circuit, it was wired backward, or it has worn out.

Below: the causes in the order to check them, and where the electrician takes over. You press buttons, unplug things, and reset breakers; opening an outlet box is electrical work (see our DIY vs. hire-a-pro guide). If a regular breaker keeps tripping instead, see breaker keeps tripping.

First, Check What Is Normal

A trip is the GFCI doing its job. It compares the current going out with the current coming back; if they differ, some is leaking through another path, and it cuts the power. Leviton's specifications for a UL 943 Class A GFCI list a trip level of 5 milliamps, plus or minus 1 (4 to 6 mA), and Pass & Seymour gives the same figure; OSHA says a GFCI shuts off within as little as 1/40 of a second. Overloads and short circuits are the breaker's job; Leviton notes a GFCI outlet doesn't protect against them.

One GFCI can protect a string of outlets. Power from the panel arrives at the GFCI's LINE terminals; its LOAD terminals can feed ordinary outlets farther along the circuit, which it also protects, and when it trips, they all go dead. Leviton notes those outlets can be in different rooms and tells installers to mark each with a "GFCI Protected Outlet" sticker. A GFCI breaker in the panel protects the whole circuit.

Newer GFCIs have a status light. On Leviton's self-test models, green means working, solid or blinking red means a problem, and no light means tripped or no power. Pass & Seymour's radiant self-test GFCIs flash their light when the device fails.

Most Likely Causes

1. A different GFCI tripped. If the dead outlet has no buttons, or its RESET does nothing, press RESET on every GFCI you can find: other bathrooms, the kitchen, garage, basement, laundry area, and outdoors. Check the panel for a breaker with a TEST button, too. A GFCI fed from another GFCI that tripped has no power until the first one is reset.
2. No power is reaching it. A tripped breaker or a loose connection upstream leaves the GFCI without power, per Leviton, and GFCIs with a reset lockout, like its SmartlockPro line, won't reset without it. On Leviton's lighted models, no light and a RESET that won't hold can mean there is no power on the circuit. Reset a tripped breaker once, the safe way. If the breaker is on and the GFCI still won't reset, a loose connection is an electrician's job.
3. The fault is still there. If something is still leaking current, the GFCI stays locked out or trips again. Leviton says to unplug everything from the GFCI and its downstream outlets, then press RESET. If it resets, plug things back in one at a time and leave the one that trips it unplugged; Leviton says it may be faulty. Legrand also names water as a cause, as in a wet outdoor or bathroom outlet, and says to press RESET only after the problem is fixed, such as once moisture has dried. But if water got into the outlet itself, Leviton says the GFCI needs replacing.
4. It was wired backward. If a just-installed GFCI has never reset, suspect a line/load reversal: the wires from the panel went on the LOAD terminals. UL 943 requires GFCI outlets made since July 28, 2006, to cut power to their own face as well as the outlets downstream when wired this way. A new Leviton GFCI ships tripped and can't be reset until it is wired correctly and has power. Leviton's fix is to turn the power off and swap the LINE and LOAD wires, a job for a licensed electrician unless you are experienced and comfortable with electrical work. Leviton warns that an older GFCI wired backward can look fine yet won't trip on a ground fault.
5. The GFCI has worn out. Leviton says moisture, surges, and wear can make a GFCI fail; the CPSC adds blackouts and other power disturbances. Under the same 2006 UL revision, a GFCI outlet that fails its internal test must signal that it needs replacing or stop delivering power. On Leviton's self-test models, a red light that doesn't clear after TEST and RESET, or a GFCI that won't reset, means replace it; so does one that is discolored, warm, or cracked, or holds plugs loosely. Older GFCIs may reset even after they stop protecting, Leviton says, which is why the monthly test matters.
6. An appliance trips it with no obvious fault. Leviton says variable-speed motors and switching power supplies in modern appliances can put electrical noise on a circuit, and it redesigned its GFCIs to ignore it. Don't assume a nuisance trip, though: a GFCI that trips whenever one appliance runs may be catching a fault in it. Unplug it, and if the trips continue or the cause isn't obvious, Leviton's advice is to call an electrician.

What You Can Fix Yourself

• Press RESET on every GFCI in the house, and look for a GFCI breaker in the panel.
• Reset a tripped breaker once, OFF then ON.
• Unplug everything on the GFCI and its downstream outlets, reset, and add things back one at a time.
• Press TEST, then RESET, and read the status light.

A plug-in tester shows which outlets are dead and when power is back; its button creates a 6 to 9 mA fault that should trip the GFCI protecting that outlet, per Klein. It doesn't replace the GFCI's TEST button, though. Klein limits it to 3-wire outlets and indoor use, says it detects only common wiring problems, says to check the GFCI's manual first, and says not to run its GFCI test on an outlet it shows as miswired, open ground included. Outdoors, use the GFCI's own TEST button. That rules out a GFCI that replaced an old two-slot outlet with no ground wire, labeled "No equipment ground" per the CPSC; there, the TEST button is the test. If the tester shows a fault, Klein says to call a qualified electrician.

When to Call a Pro

Call a licensed electrician, and leave the outlet off, when it won't reset with the breaker on and nothing plugged in; it keeps tripping and the cause isn't obvious; it fails the monthly test; it is warm, discolored, or cracked, holds plugs loosely, or has been wet; a new install won't reset and you aren't experienced with wiring; or the plug-in tester shows a fault. If an appliance gave you a tingle or shock, don't touch it again: the CPSC says to turn it off at the breaker and have an electrician check it.

Replacing a GFCI is a job for a licensed electrician. Leviton says a GFCI that fails its test should be replaced immediately by a licensed electrician, and the NFPA says GFCIs should be installed by a qualified electrician. The CPSC allows a homeowner with adequate wiring knowledge and skills to install one by its instructions, but says that when in doubt, contact a qualified electrician and do not attempt it yourself. The code is adopted and enforced locally, the CPSC notes, so ask your building department about permits and who may do the work. Leviton's instructions call for an electrician if the box holds more than four wires or a cable with more than two, not counting grounds, and ask that installers understand basic wiring, read wiring diagrams, and have circuit wiring experience. Whoever does it turns off the breaker and confirms the power is off at both outlets, with a lamp or a tester just checked on a live outlet, before the cover plate comes off; if it isn't off, Leviton says to stop and call an electrician. And the replacement is a GFCI: Legrand says GFCI outlets should always be used when replacing existing ones.

Prevent It

Test every GFCI after installation, once a month, and after a power failure, per the CPSC; the ESFI adds after every major electrical storm, and Leviton says to test self-test models monthly too. Plug in a lamp and press TEST; the lamp should go out. Press RESET; it should come back on. If either fails, stop using that outlet and have a qualified electrician correct the wiring or replace the GFCI, as the ESFI advises. Pair it with your monthly smoke alarm test, and do it after any power outage. In damp and wet locations, Leviton's instructions call for a weather-resistant (WR) GFCI, and in wet locations a cover or hood that keeps the outlet and plug face dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't the GFCI reset button push in or stay in?

On GFCIs with a reset lockout, RESET won't hold when there's no power, when line and load are reversed, or when the GFCI has failed its internal test, per Leviton. A fault still on the circuit keeps it tripped, too. Press it firmly once; don't force it. Check the breaker and the other GFCIs, unplug everything, and if it still won't reset, call an electrician.

Why are all the outlets in my bathroom dead?

One tripped GFCI can shut off every outlet downstream of it, including outlets in other rooms. Press RESET on every GFCI in the house and look for a GFCI breaker in the panel. If the outlets are still dead, check for a tripped breaker, then call an electrician.

Why does my GFCI keep tripping?

Suspect a real ground fault first: a damaged cord or appliance, or moisture. Unplug everything, reset, and add things back one at a time. If it trips with nothing plugged in, or the cause isn't obvious, Leviton's advice is to call an electrician.

Can I replace a GFCI with a regular outlet?

No. Replace a GFCI only with a new GFCI. Legrand says GFCI outlets should always be used when replacing existing ones, and the code requires GFCI protection in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, basements, crawl spaces, laundry areas, and outdoors. A regular outlet in its place would also leave every outlet downstream of it unprotected.

The Bottom Line

Find the tripped GFCI and check the breaker, then unplug everything on it and press RESET with dry hands. A GFCI that still won't reset is refusing for a reason: no power, a fault still on the circuit, reversed wiring, or old age. Replace a failed or water-damaged GFCI with a new GFCI, never a regular outlet, using a licensed electrician when in doubt, and test every GFCI monthly with its own TEST button.

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