Why does my GFCI outlet keep tripping?

A GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet is the one with "Test" and "Reset" buttons, found in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, basements and outdoors. It watches the current going out and coming back on a circuit. If the two differ by a tiny amount, which can mean electricity is leaking through water or a person, it cuts power in a fraction of a second. Tripping is its job. Repeated tripping is a clue.

How to reset a GFCI outlet

1. Unplug anything connected to the outlet.
2. Press the Reset button firmly until it clicks and stays in.
3. Plug in a lamp or phone charger to confirm power is back.

If the reset button won't stay in, the outlet may have no power at all (check the breaker), there may be an active fault, or the device may have failed. Many newer GFCIs won't reset without power, by design.

The dead outlet with no buttons

One GFCI can protect every regular outlet wired after it on the same circuit. That is why a bathroom outlet can go dead while its GFCI is in another bathroom, the garage, the basement or outside. Look for a small "GFCI Protected" sticker on the dead outlet, then check every GFCI in the house, pressing reset on each. Also check the panel for a GFCI breaker, which has its own test button.

Common reasons a GFCI keeps tripping

Moisture

Outdoor outlets without a proper in-use cover, bathroom outlets near a shower, and garage outlets in damp weather can trip whenever water gets into the box. Trips that happen after rain or long showers point here. Let the box dry and make sure outdoor covers close properly with plugs inserted.

An appliance with leakage current

Some appliances leak a small amount of current to ground, especially older ones or those with motors and heating elements: hair dryers, space heaters, older refrigerators and freezers, power tools. If the trip happens when a specific device turns on, that device is the likely cause. Try it on a different GFCI. If it trips there too, the appliance probably needs repair or replacement.

Too much on the protected circuit

Every device and every foot of wire downstream adds a little normal leakage. A GFCI protecting many outlets, long outdoor runs or several appliances can sit close to its trip threshold and trip occasionally. An electrician can rearrange protection so fewer loads share one device.

A worn-out GFCI

GFCIs don't last forever. Older devices can become oversensitive or fail to trip at all. Many newer models perform a self-test and show a light or refuse to reset when they fail. If an outlet trips with nothing plugged in and no moisture around, the device itself may be the problem.

A real ground fault in the wiring

Damaged insulation, a loose connection touching a box or water inside a wall can cause genuine faults. This is the case the GFCI exists for, and it needs an electrician.

How to find the cause

1. Unplug everything from the GFCI and every outlet it protects.
2. Reset it. If it trips immediately with nothing plugged in, suspect wiring, moisture or the device itself.
3. If it holds, plug devices back in one at a time, turning each on. Note which one causes the trip.
4. Test the suspect device on another GFCI to confirm.

Test GFCIs monthly

Press Test: power should cut off with a click. Press Reset to restore it. If pressing Test does nothing, the outlet isn't protecting you and should be replaced. Also remember that a GFCI on a sump pump or freezer circuit can trip unnoticed; see our sump pump guide for why that matters.