I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

wrote:
I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

If I read you correctly, this is a GFCI outlet in the garage with the
bathroom outlets connected to its output teminals. (And, you might want
to make sure there's not something else like an outdoor outlet connected
to it too.)

Is it only the outlets in that bathroom which shut down when the GFCI is
tripped, or are their other things in the bathroom such as lights or an
exhaust fan which quit too?

Was somebody maybe taking a shower in that bathroom about the time the
GFCI tripped? That could be a clue too.

Try disconnecting the leads going to the bathroom from the output
terminals of the garage GFCI to isolate the problem.

If it seems like it's related to the bathroom outlets try taking the
outlet cover plates off and using a hair dryer to blow warm air into
them in case there's moisture there causing the tripping. (You may need
a heavy duty extension cord to power the hair dryer.)

I once had a bathroom GFCI outlet tripping problem caused by occasional
moisture leakage in that bathroom's exhaust fan wired to its output
terminals. I solved that problem by changing the wiring so the fan
circuit took its power from the input terminals of the GFCI. (That fan
wasn't over the bathtub/shower and its housing was grounded BTW.)

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?"

wrote:
I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

Did rain or water get into it or into one of the protected outlets
someplace?

Mark

wrote in message
...
I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

either a bad GFI, or a ground fault, or a tripped circuit breaker. First
make sure circuit breaker is not tripped.

Unplug and turn off everything in the bathroom and garage that is on this
circuit. Can you reset the GFI now?

If not, turn off the power to this circuit and remove the GFI receptacle
from the wall in the garage, disconnect the two wires from the "load" side
of the GFI. Now turn on the power, can you reset the GFI?

If not, you have a bad GFI. Just to be sure, test to make sure there is
power going into the GFI.

If yes, then something downstream is causing a ground fault. Normally wiring
and receptacles are not likely to be the cause unless water got into them.

I have seen this before and all the above replies are correct; ground
fault (your ground wire has been broken or power is leaking to ground)
but there is one more possibility. Many people plug in power adaptors
for various things (shavers, etc.) that have no ground plug. They may
leave these adaptors in the outlet all the time. Sometimes the adaptor
will still work but inside it has failed and will cause a GFI reset.
Try unplugging anything plugged into your bathroom/garage GFI circuit
FIRST. Then see if your GFI circuit will hold a reset.

Jeff

wrote:
I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:52:59 -0400, wrote:

I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms.

Only one? I have one gfi brewker that is connected to outlets in all
3 bathrooms, plus the kitchen sink area, plus the outlet on the
outside wall. Since all these places are supposed to have GFI
protection, it's likely that all such places in your house are
connected to this gfi outlet, unless you have other gfi devices
somewhere else.

Nothing unusual has happened.

Nothing you know about.

I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:52:59 -0400, wrote:

I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!


IMHO: If this was me...

1. Do an assesment of the overall system. Is the GFCI old? Was
there some wetting situtation in the recent past, examples: flooding,
heavy rain.

2. Reduce the variables in the problem. I would remove the GFCI
receptacle (with power off), disconnect 'downstream' receptacles (if
any), ensure power source connection is strong/secure, then test the
GFCI. Easy way, turn power back on and hit reset.

Ok, all fails, I would just buy another GFCI. They sometimes fail if
they cannot work safely, meaning if it doesn't work safely, it doesn't
work. So a new one is cheap enough to save time and replace.

Now this is me, but time is money, and I have very little of both.
Remember only qualified people shall work on electrical systems.

later,

tom @ www.FindMeShelter.com

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:52:59 -0400, wrote:

I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!


Find out what it on the load side of that outlet that's
causing a ground fault?

wrote:
I have a GFI that won't re-set. It's in the garage, but also is linked
to the outlets in one of the bathrooms. Nothing unusual has happened.
I was working in the bathroom last night, but nothing today, and it
only tripped within the past couple of hours. I press the re-set, and
it pushes back against me. Any thoughts, or how I would troubleshoot
it? Thanks!

The newer GFCIs take a lot of pressure to reset. Try again and push
more firmly.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison