How To Check A Gfci Plug

If it present touch the test button with your finger.

How to check a gfci plug. This will cause the gfci outlet to trip and the flow of electricity will be cut. All gfcis manufactured after mid 2006 are designed to tell you when they fail. If the night lamp continues to work after pressing the test button then this is a sign that the outlet has gone bad. Plug a lamp or a radio into the gfci outlet and turn it on to check if power is present in the outlet.

If there is still no power check the circuit breaker and reset it. This can be due to two main reasons. Unscrew the gfci from the electrical box. A gfci tester will easily allow you to test outlets for gfci protection.

A gfci outlet tester is inexpensive and can test standard non gfci outlets as well as gfcis making it a handy tool to have in your electrical tool kit. Turn off the breaker to the circuit and unscrew the cover plate from the gfci with a screwdriver. To do that you should check for the reset and trip buttons. Step 2 test the outlet.

If that didn t correct it however there s a good chance the gfci is defective then you will need to consult an electrician to replace it or find out what s wrong. The gfci outlet will have two buttons on it normally these are color coded. Gfci s protect against deadly electrical shocks by sensing leaks in the electrical current and immediately tripping to shut off the power. Once the power trips you can check the efficiency of the gfci unit using a voltage meter.

Gfci short for ground fault circuit interrupter outlets those unusual outlets with the test and reset buttons are required in areas of the house where shock hazards are greatest. Your new gfci will never require a circuit tester. The first thing to do is to check your ground fault circuit interrupter to ensure that there are no faults from it. Press the reset button to restore power.

If the power doesn t go off replace the gfci. The face of the gfci outlet features two small buttons that are labeled test and reset. Then push the reset button because in some cases the failures could be with the switch so check to see if it clicks and stays in place. Inspect the wire connections and verify that the live circuit is connected to the terminals marked line usually the upper pair and that the cable going to other outlets is connected to the load terminals usually the bottom pair.

Plug in the tester and push its test button. This has the same result as pushing the test button on the outlet face.