Electrical – GFI’s have no power in both the bathrooms

electricalwiring

I have two GFI's that have no power. I have check all outlets and all switches, and they are wired correct. I just don't know where to go from here. I was hoping to not need an electrician. Everything in my home has power and is working but the two GFI's in both the main and master bathrooms.

Best Answer

Probably, this: Modern Code says bathroom receptacle circuits must either a) power only loads in that bathroom, or b) power receptacles only in any bathroom. And those receptacles must be GFCI protected.

My guess is your builder chose option (b), and installed a GFCI circuit breaker on that circuit, and put "GFCI protected" stickers on the bathroom receptacles. Second, the homeowner tore off those stickers because they're ugly. Third, they sold the house and some idiot real estate agent said "these don't look like GFCI receptacles, upgrade" and they did.

So now you have a GFCI (breaker) feeding a GFCI (outlet) possibly feeding another GFCI (outlet). This is like an Escher drawing or a "yo dawg" meme. Any ground fault or test will trip all of them up the chain. Worse, some cheap GFCIs trip when power is disconnected! So you must reset them in the correct sequence down the chain.

Go down to your breaker panel and I bet you find a breaker marked "bathroom" that has a "TEST" button on it. (If there isn't a RESET, it is accomplished by turning the breaker off and on.)

Then, try resetting each of your downstream GFCIs. Presumably one more will reset that wouldn't reset before. Then find the next that will reset, etc.

For any GFCI, if this GFCI causes another GFCI to trip, then replace this GFCI with a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker.

Use the salvaged GFCI receptacles to protect other circuits.