Tools · Hand tools and quick fixes

Testing and resetting a GFCI outlet

A GFCI is the outlet with TEST and RESET buttons. It cuts power in a fraction of a second when electricity leaks somewhere it shouldn't, like through you. Test each one monthly and after a power outage: plug in a lamp, press TEST (the light should go off), press RESET (it should come back). If a kitchen or bathroom outlet is dead, find the GFCI upstream and press RESET.

Easy5 min a monthFreeChecked October 2, 2026

You'll need

A lamp or nightlight to plug in
A list of where your GFCIs are: kitchen, bathrooms, garage, outdoors, basement, laundry area
Your phone, to note which outlets each GFCI controls

What to know

Know what you're looking at. A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI, sometimes GFI) protects you from severe shocks. It can be built into an outlet, a circuit breaker or a power cord. Source: CPSC¹
Find them. The electrical code now requires GFCIs in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors. Source: ESFI³ Older homes may not have them everywhere, because the code mostly applies to new construction and major renovations. Source: CPSC¹
Test it. Plug a lamp into the outlet and turn the lamp on. Press TEST. The light should go out. Source: CPSC¹
Reset it. Press RESET. The light should come back on. Source: CPSC¹
Test every GFCI at least once a month, after a power failure, and as the manufacturer's instructions say. Source: CPSC¹ They can fail without any sign, so regular testing may save your life. Source: CPSC² ESFI also says to test them once a month. Source: ESFI⁴
Have a GFCI breaker in your panel? Push its test button. The handle should move to the middle or off position. To reset it, move the handle all the way to off, then back to on. Source: CPSC²
Map what each one controls. One GFCI outlet also protects the outlets "downstream" on the same circuit. Source: CPSC¹ After you press TEST, check which other outlets went dead, and write it down.

Watch out Light stayed on after you pressed TEST? The GFCI isn't working or wasn't installed correctly. Don't count on it. Call a qualified electrician, or your landlord if you rent. Source: CPSC¹ If the light won't come back after RESET, the GFCI needs replacing. Source: CPSC¹

See it done

Video by This Old House Home-repair TV show

Everything to Know About GFCI Receptacles

Watch on YouTube: Everything to Know About GFCI Receptacles | Ask This Old House

Full title on YouTube: “Everything to Know About GFCI Receptacles | Ask This Old House”2022 · Checked October 3, 2026

Video won't load at school or work? No problem. Everything you need is in the steps; the video's just a bonus. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

Bathroom outlet dead, but no buttons on it? It may be downstream of a GFCI somewhere else, like another bathroom, the garage or outside. Source: CPSC¹ Check those for a tripped RESET button before you go to the panel.
Keeps tripping when you plug in one thing? A GFCI trips when it detects a ground fault, and those most often happen when equipment is damaged or defective. Source: CPSC¹ Stop using that appliance or tool until it's checked.
Whole room dark, no GFCI tripped? Check the breaker panel. See Finding your water shutoff and breaker panel.
Working outside, or in a room with no GFCI? A portable GFCI plugs into a regular outlet and protects whatever you plug into it. CPSC suggests one for electric yard equipment and power tools. Source: CPSC¹
Thinking of swapping in a GFCI yourself? CPSC says to call a qualified electrician if you have any doubt about the right wiring procedure. Source: CPSC¹ If you rent, that's your landlord's call.

Good to know

The details, if you want them. Tap a line to open it.

How it works

A GFCI constantly compares the current going out on a circuit with the current coming back. If they differ by as little as 0.006 amps, it cuts the power faster than you can blink, before the shock can affect your heartbeat Source: CPSC¹).

Why it matters

Since the 1970s, GFCIs have saved thousands of lives and helped cut home electrocutions in half. Source: ESFI³ Because they detect ground faults, they can also prevent some electrical fires. Source: CPSC¹

Where you want one

Anywhere water and electricity might meet, indoors or out. Source: ESFI³ CPSC also suggests GFCIs in unfinished basements and near laundry tubs and wet bar sinks. Source: CPSC²

A monthly routine (made-up example)

First Saturday of the month, with the smoke alarm test: nightlight in the kitchen GFCI, TEST, RESET. Then the bathroom, the garage and the outdoor outlet. Ninety seconds total. Note any that fail and text the landlord the same day.

Message to a landlord (made-up example)

"Hi, the GFCI outlet by the kitchen sink in 2A doesn't cut power when I press TEST. The lamp stays on. Can an electrician check it this week? I'm not using that outlet until then."

Take it with you

Printable card Download card (PDF)

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission GFCI fact sheet (PDF)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Home electrical safety checklist (PDF)
Electrical Safety Foundation International Ground fault circuit interrupters
Electrical Safety Foundation International Understanding your home electrical system

Lesson T1.4 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.

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