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GFCI won’t reset
A GFCI that refuses to reset is often protecting you from something it has found.
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Written by HyreElectrical Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The short answer
GFCI won’t reset when there is no power reaching it, when the device has failed, or when it still senses a ground fault on the circuit. Check the breaker first.
If the breaker is on and the GFCI still will not latch, unplug everything downstream and try once more; if it still fails, call an electrician.
The safe checks
Make sure the breaker is on. Unplug everything on that GFCI and the outlets after it. Press reset firmly once.
CPSC says to test GFCIs monthly and replace one that fails the test. A GFCI that will not reset with nothing plugged in has either failed or sees a fault in the wiring.
What the electrician tests
An electrician checks for power on the line terminals, a reversed line/load hookup, moisture in a downstream outdoor or bathroom box, and leakage in a downstream appliance.
Then the device is replaced or the fault is repaired. New GFCIs must be wired correctly on line and load or they will not reset.
Permit, time and what changes the price
A device swap is usually treated as repair. Repairing a wet outdoor circuit can involve new boxes and covers.
Price drivers: device vs wiring fault, number of downstream outlets, outdoor boxes needing weatherproof in-use covers. No price ranges are published here; see cost guides.
Where GFCI protection is expected
CPSC points to the locations the National Electrical Code names for GFCI protection: kitchens, bathrooms, garages, unfinished basements, outdoors and near laundry tubs and wet bar sinks. Recent editions have widened the list.
One GFCI receptacle can protect every outlet after it on the same circuit. That is why a single trip can kill outlets in two rooms. Downstream outlets should carry a “GFCI Protected” label so the next person can find the reset. If you cannot find it, check the garage, the nearest bathroom and outside walls.
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Questions
Why does my GFCI trip when it rains?
Can a GFCI wear out?
Why is a bathroom outlet dead with no GFCI there?
Can I replace a GFCI myself?
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HyreElectrical Research Desk
Primary-source research and fact checking
We read the model code, the federal safety notice, the municipal fee sheet or the utility tariff ourselves, and we publish the figure with the document it came from and the date we retrieved it.
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This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a quote. Code rules vary by the NEC edition your state or city adopted and its local amendments.