Troubleshooting Dead Outlets and What to Do When a GFCI Won’t Reset

May 4, 2021 7:28 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

When you aren’t getting power from an electrical outlet, it can be a surprising and frustrating experience. Sometimes you find out right away—say, because an appliance won’t turn on when it’s plugged in. But sometimes you find out later, like when you’re about to head out the door and you thought your phone had been charging for the past two hours but the outlet was not giving any power.

Electrical wiring is not a DIY job for the faint of heart. It can be confusing and dangerous if you don’t have expert knowledge and take the proper safety precautions. Fortunately, there are a few things you can check that don’t require any dangerous electrical work. Here are some tips for troubleshooting dead outlets and what to do when a GFCI won’t reset in North Scottsdale, AZ.

Press the GFCI reset button on the outlet

The first thing to try checking is the GFCI reset button on the outlet. On some outlets, there will be a button between the two plug spots. Try pushing that button before trying anything else. GFCI outlets are made to shut off if they detect a surge of electricity, so the reason you have a dead outlet may be simply due to a temporary power surge.

Flip some switches

Sometimes an outlet is tied to a wall switch. These are called “half-hot” outlets, but often referred to as “lamp outlets.” The idea is that one can plug in a lamp and leave it in the “on” position, using the wall switch to turn it on and off. If you are not getting power from an outlet, there may be a light switch on the wall connected to this outlet. The solution to troubleshooting dead outlets and what to do when a GFCI won’t reset in North Scottsdale, AZ may be as simple as plugging into the other spot of an outlet.

Plug in something else

It may be the case that your outlet isn’t dead, but that what you’re trying to plug in is. Try plugging in something else that you tested on another outlet and that you know is working. Sometimes the solution to a problem can be so simple that we don’t think of trying it right away!

Check the circuit breaker panel

If all this has failed to diagnose the problem of why the outlet isn’t giving power, it’s time to check the circuit breaker panel. You can tell if a circuit has been “tripped” by checking the switches in the panel. If a circuit is on, it will be firmly to one side. If it has been tripped, it will be more toward the middle and have a little bit of give. To remedy this, switch any tripped circuits to the off position, then back to the on position.

Call a professional

If all else fails, it may be time to call a professional electrician to diagnose and solve the problem. When you’re out of options after troubleshooting dead outlets and the GFCI won’t reset in North Scottsdale, AZ, contact Eavenson Electric Co. to fix the problem!

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *