On May 20, 8:12*am, Robert11 wrote:
Hello,

Have the typical Leviton GFCI dual outlets (as sold by ACE Hardware)
around our house.

One has the electric garage door opener plugged into it.
It has recently tripped, but on pushing back in the red button, it seems
to work again.

Another, the outlet on our Deck, has tripped, but the red button will
not stay pushed in (nothing plugged into the outlet).

Both are about 3 years old, and worked until now.

Neither one has the small green indicator light, which I see the new
units in the store now have on them.

Questions:

a. For consumer grade Leviton GFCI outlets like these, how reliable are
they generally ?
Should they have to be replaced in 3 years, e.g., normally ?
Are they both likely defective ?

The Deck one is in a more-or-less weatherproof box, but of course does
see the cold. *The one in our garage also gets pretty cold down there.

b. I understand the basic principle of how these function, but was
wondering if they also would trip
(as a normal house circuit breaker would) for a short circuit or an
excess current draw over 15 amps ?

Or, do they just solely protect against stray current going through an
individual ?

c. Are there better brands or models available ?

Thanks,
Bob

@Bob:

"More-or-Less weatherproof" could mean that there is some
water infiltration into the box causing it to trip...

As others have said the culprit could also be loose connections
somewhere in the circuit or a tripped breaker preventing GFCI
reset...

Also look for signs of insects, sometimes they can crawl into
the boxes and cause issues with outdoor receptacles....