How to Reset a GFI Circuit
- 1). Take note of the appliances that lost power. If none of your circuit breakers tripped, then you'll know that one of those appliances tripped a GFI and opened the electrical circuit. When you reset the GFI and it continues to trip you'll know that one of those appliances has an electrical problem and needs to be repaired. The problem can also be a defective GFI unit which should be replaced by an electrician.
- 2). Look for the tripped GFI in the obvious places like the bathrooms, the kitchen and the laundry room. Look wherever you have water service where a GFI may be located.
- 3). Look in your home's electrical circuit breaker panel, typically in the basement, the garage, the kitchen or in a bedroom's closet. A GFI in the circuit breaker panel will be installed next to the regular circuit breakers. If the RESET button has tripped, push it in and confirm that the appliances now work.
- 4). Look for the tripped GFI in other, less obvious locations. Many of them were installed on garage walls approximately four feet off the ground hidden from view behind panels. Slowly scan those walls with your flashlight and look behind hanging cabinets, tool hooks and anything else that is leaning or hanging on them.
- 5). Enter the crawl space of your house if it has one. You may find that a single GFI was installed there for the protection of the entire house. Once you've located it reset it and ensure that the appliances are working again. Consider having an electrician move the GFI to a more accessible location.
