The hair dryer will not turn on, the toothbrush charger is dark, and there is no obvious reason. Dead bathroom outlets are one of the most common electrical questions people search for, and in most cases the answer is a GFCI outlet that has tripped. The catch is that the GFCI controlling your bathroom is not always in your bathroom.
Why bathrooms have GFCI protection
A GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter, cuts power in a fraction of a second when it senses current leaking to ground, for example through water or a person. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's GFCI fact sheet notes that the National Electrical Code has required GFCI protection for bathroom receptacles since 1975, and explains that a GFCI receptacle also protects the outlets further downstream on the same circuit. That second point is why one GFCI can control outlets in more than one room.
Where to look for the GFCI
- In the same bathroom. Look for an outlet with TEST and RESET buttons. If one is there and the others in the room are plain, the plain ones are probably on it.
- In another bathroom. In many homes built in the 1970s through the 1990s, one GFCI in the main bathroom protects the outlets in every bathroom. A trip there kills them all.
- In the garage or outside. Some older homes have bathroom outlets protected by a GFCI in the garage or on an exterior wall. It looks strange, but we find it regularly.
- In the panel. Some homes use a GFCI breaker instead of a GFCI outlet. It has its own test button on the breaker.
How to reset it
Press RESET firmly on each GFCI you find until it clicks. If the bathroom outlets come back, the GFCI tripped and did its job. The CPSC recommends testing every GFCI at least once a month and after a power failure: plug in a lamp, press TEST and the lamp should go off, then press RESET and it should come back on.
If it will not reset
A GFCI that refuses to reset is telling you one of a few things:
- No power is reaching it. A GFCI will not reset without power. Check the breaker, and check whether another GFCI upstream has tripped.
- A fault is still there. A wet outlet, a damaged cord or a faulty appliance plugged in anywhere on the circuit will trip it again. Unplug everything on the bathroom outlets and try again.
- The GFCI has worn out. GFCIs do not last forever, and bathroom humidity shortens their life. The CPSC's guidance is that if the lamp does not go off when you press TEST, or does not come back on after RESET, the GFCI is not working and should be replaced.
- It was wired backward. A GFCI with its line and load connections reversed may not reset or may not protect the outlets after it. This needs an electrician.
If it keeps tripping
A GFCI that trips now and then during a shower or when the hair dryer runs is often reacting to moisture or to a worn appliance. Try the appliance on another GFCI. If that one trips too, the appliance is the problem. If the GFCI trips with nothing plugged in, there is moisture or a fault in the wiring, which should be looked at. Bathroom exhaust fans and lights on the same circuit can also be the source.
When the outlet is warm or marked
A bathroom outlet that is warm, smells of burning, or has brown marks is not a GFCI question. Stop using it, switch off its breaker if you can identify it, and call. Our guide to burning smells and buzzing covers the first few minutes.
Miami bathrooms in particular
Humidity is hard on bathroom devices here, and near the coast salt air adds corrosion. We often replace GFCIs in Miami Beach and Coconut Grove bathrooms that have simply corroded inside. If your bathroom outlets trip more in the summer, that is the likely reason. Our guide to salt air corrosion explains what lasts longer. For the code requirements behind bathroom GFCI and AFCI protection in Florida, see GFCI and AFCI requirements in Florida.
What we do on a visit
We find which GFCI or breaker protects the bathroom, test it, and trace why it will not reset or keeps tripping. Common repairs are replacing a worn GFCI, fixing a failed connection between the GFCI and the bathroom outlets, and adding a GFCI where the bathroom has none. See outlet and GFCI repair for the full picture, and partial power outages if more than the bathroom is out.
Questions people ask
Why are all my bathroom outlets dead but the lights work?
The outlets are on a GFCI that tripped, while the lights are on a different circuit or are not behind the GFCI. Find and reset the GFCI.
Can I replace a GFCI myself?
The CPSC says receptacle GFCIs may be installed by people with adequate knowledge and skill, and to use a qualified electrician when in doubt. In Florida, electrical work is otherwise limited to licensed contractors. Our guide to who can do electrical work in Florida covers the rules.
Need it looked at?
KRW Electric (EC13012832) troubleshoots and repairs GFCI outlets that will not reset or keep tripping in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, South Miami and Miami Beach, with same-day service when scheduling permits. Call (305) 359-7312 and tell us what you are seeing. We will ask a few questions, tell you whether it sounds urgent, and give you the earliest time we have. Our before you call checklist covers what to have ready, and what happens on a repair visit explains the rest.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
