Professionals will be able to determine why the GFCI outlet isn’t working and can pinpoint and repair any additional electrical issues that may be present. Depending on location, licensed professionals can cost around $50 to $100 per hour or around $300 per project and have specialized, high-tech equipment that can help detect problems homeowners may not have known about. If the issue seems to be more invasive than a quick DIY repair, contact a licensed electrician to have them take a look. Inexperienced homeowners should not try to perform extensive electrical repairs on their own, as this can pose a severe risk of injury, such as electrocution, as well as the increased risk of property damage. Sometimes, a seemingly faulty GFCI outlet can indicate a bigger problem that should be addressed by a professional who has a better understanding of the issue. Call an electrician if the issue doesn’t seem to be a quick fix. As a rule of thumb, black wires should be attached to gold screws, and white wires should attach to silver screws, and the screw should securely fasten each wire on the side of the outlet. If a wire isn’t securely fastened, it will need to be cut and reattached securely underneath the screw to ensure it’s well connected. Once the wires have been exposed, gently tug on each one to confirm if they are securely fastened underneath the screws. Once the outlet has been completely dried, press the reset button and listen for the click noise, which indicates the outlet has been reset and power has been restored. Allow the hairdryer to thoroughly remove the moisture from the area before continuing, as any presence will cause the GFCI reset to be unsuccessful. To remove moisture, try plugging a hairdryer into a different outlet nearby and aim it at the GFCI outlet that has moisture present. If moisture happens to be present in the outlet, it’s crucial to remove all traces of it before resetting the GFCI and attempting to plug anything into it. When it trips, it shuts off and stops electricity through the outlet as a safety measure. If a GFCI outlet senses that there is moisture present in or near the outlet, it will trip as a way to prevent electrocution. If there’s moisture, try drying the outlet thoroughly with a hairdryer plugged into another outlet. If the breaker trips again after this fix, the issue could be a short circuit which can be dangerous and should be addressed by a licensed specialist. Be sure to reset the GFCI outlet as well. To reset it, first flip it to the “off” position, then switch it to the “on” position. However, if a switch is located in the middle position, that means it has tripped and needs to be reset. The breaker switch should either be flipped to “off” or “on. To determine if a breaker has tripped, look at the buttons inside the breaker box. Otherwise, check to see if the breaker for the corresponding room has tripped. Check the main electrical panel to see if a blown fuse causes the issue and if so, replace the fuse and reset the GFCI outlet. I acknowledge those are more good reasons for the NEC rule.A GFCI outlet won’t work if a breaker has tripped or if a fuse has blown. (For sake of discussion, exclude situations like forgetting you did this, contractors using the circuit, sale of the property to an unaware party, etc. You also don't own any 20 amp devices, so there is zero chance of one being connected to the circuit. (You will get a correct 15 amp outlet eventually, but you don't have it right now.) This circuit is on your own, private property - no one else will use it but you. Suppose all you have on hand is a 20 amp GFCI and you need to replace an outlet on a 15 amp circuit. Find 100s of electrical devices, matching wall plates, fast shipping, easy ordering, save time and money at Kyle. As I understand it, the reason that a 20 amp outlet can't be connected to a 15 amp circuit is that someone could potentially connect a 20 amp device, overload the circuit, and cause a fire. I'll start by acknowledging that I know this violates NEC.
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