During a lightning storm, my lamp, which was plugged into an outlet on
my garage wall, went out, and I heard the relay (breaker) on the
outlet click. When I tried to reset the breaker by pushing in the red
button, it just popped out again! When the breaker has tripped in the
past, I have been able to reset it by pushing in the red "reset"
button. There is also a black "test" button, just below the red
button. Both buttons are sticking out of the outlet faceplate. All
the other outlets and circuits are OK. But this outlet is dead, until
I push in the red button, and the electricity only flows for a second,
until the red button pops out again. It pops out with or without
something plugged into the sockets.

How can I fix this thing? Is something fried inside it ?

ANy clues welcomed !!!

OK, here you go!...

Clue 1: It's not a breaker, it's a GFCI (Gound Fault Circuit
Interrupter).

Clue 2: It's trying to tell you something, in fact it's just
about screaming at you...SOMETHING IS WRONG!, I can't
be reset by pushing that button.

Clue 3: Since you needed Clue 1 and Clue 2, you can "fix this
thing" by calling an electrician. That is your ONLY
option, please don't take it personally, but it's plain
as day that you know nothing about this stuff. Go to
Yellow Pages. Eletricians, residential. If you do not
keep dicking with it (trying to reset it) there is a
decent chance that you will be fine with a service call
during normal business hours tomorrow or the next day.
IOW: Leave it the hell alone before you start a fire.

HTH.
--
TP



I hope I helped with your inferiority complex. Now I'll read the other
responses.