My two bathrooms upstairs share a common wall and last week both of them stopped working (no power). When I try to reset either one of them, the reset button won't lock. I checked the circuit box and nothing tripped and I went around the house resetting all the other GFCI outlets (in the kitchen, outside etc.) even though they hadn't tripped either. Do you think the recepticles need replacig or could something else going on. I'm fairly new to my neighborhood and I can't seem to get any electrician to return my calls.
COMMUNITY FORUM
- Forum >
- Electrical & Lighting >
- GFCI outlets
Check the breakers again. On some styles it may not be obvious that it has tripped. Try turning the breaker completely off,then back on.
If that doesn't work, look again for a tripped GFCI receptacle. Maybe another bathroom, garage, basement?
If that doesn't work, look again for a tripped GFCI receptacle. Maybe another bathroom, garage, basement?
GFCI's since 93 will not reset without power. When the test button is pushed it will trip even if there is no power. And the GFCI's are shipped in the tripped mode.
This was done to stop them from being installed "backwards"; that is with power to the load connections instead of the line. But in those model the receptacle will still be hot.
New GFCI's, starting in July, have made more changes so that even the receptacle terminals won't be hot if it is wired backwards.
But the point of this is that without power the GFCI will appear tripped and if tripped can't be reset.
While not completely impossible, it would be unusal for both to fail or have a downstream problem that affects both.
Check the breaker like HH said.
If that is not the cause then it is most likely a bad connection that is common to both. It could be in one of these two receptacles. Or it might be a feed from another bath (or 1/2 bath) on that same circuit.
What is the approximate age of the house?
This was done to stop them from being installed "backwards"; that is with power to the load connections instead of the line. But in those model the receptacle will still be hot.
New GFCI's, starting in July, have made more changes so that even the receptacle terminals won't be hot if it is wired backwards.
But the point of this is that without power the GFCI will appear tripped and if tripped can't be reset.
While not completely impossible, it would be unusal for both to fail or have a downstream problem that affects both.
Check the breaker like HH said.
If that is not the cause then it is most likely a bad connection that is common to both. It could be in one of these two receptacles. Or it might be a feed from another bath (or 1/2 bath) on that same circuit.
What is the approximate age of the house?
