Question on GFI outlet

HDoc

Came home today to find three outlets not working- all tied to one outlet which had a GFI. Tried resetting the GFI and also checked out the circut breakers. This is an interior (kitchen GFI outlet and the home is only about 2 years old.

Is this just a bad GFI that needs replacing or should I be looking at something else?

HDoc

mdshunk

A few things come to mind.

The GFCI could be bad. They are electronic after all. Some last a dozen years. I've had a couple fail in a dozen weeks.

A wire might be pinched in one of the boxes, and it took until now to part the insulation and short the conductor.

A staple might be overdriven that is securing one of the cables, and it took until now to part the insulation and short the conductor.

If you lack meters and such for some tests, replacing the GFCI isn't a bad place to start.

BigJimmy

I'm assuming that you disconnected all the plug-connected loads from the receptacles fed from the GFCI before resetting? If not, do so-one of the appliances could have developed a short (esp. toaster).

HDoc

mdshunk:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll into getting a replacement GFCI tomorrow.


BigJimmy:

All appliances are unplugged from the three outlets. I do have a toaster oven in another GFCI outlet and I tried resetting that one as well before I identified all the outlets involved.