Hi...

I came home today and the outlets in our bonus room aren't working. I checked the breaker and nothing was tripped. Then I went searching for the GFI outlets. All of them were fine except the one in the bathroom nearest the bonus room. Here is the issue: On that outlet, the power works. BUT I cannot test or retest the outlet. When I push in the "Test" button, it doesn't trip. Same with the "Reset" button. It just pushes in but nothing happens. Again, it won't "test" but there is power going to that outlet (I plugged in something into it and it works). Could that be causing the outlets in the other room not to work?

Please Help!!!

corriehac

sounds like you have a bad outlet. wich can cause a break in the circut. This is what happened at our house . check the local yellow pages for a good elc.

volntitan

Shouldn't I be able to just go get a new GFI and replace it myself? Is it that difficult?


Thanks!

corriehac

no not at all your local hard ware store will be glad to help you. I use ace and lowes.

labman

Replacing a GFCI is no big deal if you can read and follow directions. I would do some more checking first. Breakers sometimes are tripped, but don't look tripped. Try to figure out which one might control the dead outlets, and turn it all the way to off and back on. If that doesn't help, shut the breaker off to the bathroom. Then pull GFCI out. If it only has 2 wires to the line side, and not the load, it is not supplying the bonus room. If it does have wires to the load terminals, remove them, turn the power back on, and try test and reset again. If it still doesn't work, likely it is bad. Don't buy a new one until tkrussel confirms it. If you do remove the GFCI, keep careful track of where each wire was and put them back where they were. Line is the hot feed, and load is anything fed from it which will also be GFCI Protected. If there are more wires connected to line, what ever they feed are not GFCI protected.

volntitan

Thanks. I went down and flipped all the breakers on and off to be sure and it didn't do anything. With the Holidays coming and a house full of folks...including sports fans to watch ball games...yep you guessed it, in the bonus room...I wanted to try to fix something asap. I can't imagine what else it could be to have all the plugs (about 9) around the outside walls in one room to be down and to have the one GFI that is right off the bonus room, have it's reset/test buttons not work. A GFI can't be that much, I hope. Cheaper than trying to get an electrician out 2 days before Thanksgiving....

tkrussell

Should test the line input at the GFI to be sure there is 120 volts across the black and white feed. As labman stated, do not lose track of which wires are which.
If there is no power to the GFI the test and reset buttons will not work, and indicates a loose connection ahead of the GFI in the circuit wiring.

If you just buy a GFI and replace it, and then find there is no power, you just wasted that money. A new GFI only costs about $10-15, and not a bad idea to have a spare in stock.

If no power to the GFI then check the next working outlet that feeds the GFI looking for a loose connection.

ThisSucks7

I have a similar problem to the OP's. Everything is the same except that the non-operating outlets are in the garage. The GFI outlet works but the reset/test buttons don't do anything (ie, pushing test doesn't make the reset button pop) and there are 120 volts running. Are loose connections still an option?

stanfortyman

Sounds like a bad GFI receptacle to me.