Bathroom outlets not working...
#1
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Bathroom outlets not working...
Hello - as of a few days ago, the outlets in all three of our bathrooms stopped working. The lights in the bathroom work, just not the outlets.
Our home is new, built in 2006. All three bathrooms are on a single circuit, and the breaker had not tripped. There's only one GFCI among the three bathrooms, and it does not respond at all when I try to reset it; just in case, I've reset all the GFCIs in the house - no luck. The bathroom's GFCI isn't bad, as I swapped one from the kitchen and still no response, yet the one from the bathroom works just fine in the kitchen. I've set and re-set the breaker as well.
Have no idea what the problem might be. We've had no work done on the house and have not plugged anything new in. One day the bathroom outlets worked, the next day nothing.
Ideas? Thanks in advance!
Our home is new, built in 2006. All three bathrooms are on a single circuit, and the breaker had not tripped. There's only one GFCI among the three bathrooms, and it does not respond at all when I try to reset it; just in case, I've reset all the GFCIs in the house - no luck. The bathroom's GFCI isn't bad, as I swapped one from the kitchen and still no response, yet the one from the bathroom works just fine in the kitchen. I've set and re-set the breaker as well.
Have no idea what the problem might be. We've had no work done on the house and have not plugged anything new in. One day the bathroom outlets worked, the next day nothing.
Ideas? Thanks in advance!
#2
Did you reset the breaker even though it didn't look tripped?
Also, even though it shouldn't be, there could possibly be another GFI feeding this one like under the house or something.
Also, even though it shouldn't be, there could possibly be another GFI feeding this one like under the house or something.
#3
I agree with Wirenut1110, there's a GFCI somewhere that has tripped and is hidden by boxes or something. Check the garage. That's the biggest culprit. Also, outside GFCI's for some reason are incorporated into interior circuits, although they shouldn't be. If the breaker proves not to be tripped, time for a search mission.
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I've set and re-set the breaker as well.
#5
You have checked with a multimeter, test light, or solenoid tester that there is voltage at the wires on the load side suspect GFCI? If you don't have a tester install a regular receptacle just as a test.
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Thanks all. I've searched thoroughly for more GFCIs and no luck. If there's one under the house, I'm screwed - can't get the access floor panel to budge. How common would it be to have a GFCI under the house? (Our house is two-story if that makes a difference).
Yes, I've reset the breaker for the bathroom plugs; again, it was never actually tripped, yet I reset it just in case (re-set all the breakers in fact out of desperation).
I'm going to buy a meter and test the current. If it ends up there's no current, what could that mean besides a tripped GFCI somewhere?
Yes, I've reset the breaker for the bathroom plugs; again, it was never actually tripped, yet I reset it just in case (re-set all the breakers in fact out of desperation).
I'm going to buy a meter and test the current. If it ends up there's no current, what could that mean besides a tripped GFCI somewhere?
#7
The GFCI under the house would be required if there was any HVAC equipment (air-handler) under there.
Bathrooms are required to be on their own 20 amp circuit with no other outlets but, it's possible they may have slick willy'd one in there and there lies your problem.
If you do find that there's one somewhere else, turn the power off, remove it and install the connections on the line side of the GFI. This way, if it trips, it won't effect the others.
Other than that, it could be a bad breaker or loose neutral in the panel, provided the receptacle is wired with line and load connections in the correct spot.
Bathrooms are required to be on their own 20 amp circuit with no other outlets but, it's possible they may have slick willy'd one in there and there lies your problem.
If you do find that there's one somewhere else, turn the power off, remove it and install the connections on the line side of the GFI. This way, if it trips, it won't effect the others.
Other than that, it could be a bad breaker or loose neutral in the panel, provided the receptacle is wired with line and load connections in the correct spot.
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Hi. I agree with wirenut1110. If you have a polarity tester(the ones that looks like a 3-prong plug that lights up to check if your wiring is correct)will also indicate if your hot wire is active and your neutral is not(meaning you don't have a solid neutral that's why you won't get power in your receptacles). If you have an analog tester, try checking the hot and neutral slots. If you get less than 120v then you have a loose or no neutral, then check the hot and ground slots, if you get 120v then your hot leg is ok. From here, you have to do some elimination of checking which line is bad. I supposed the wiring of the receptacles are in a loop(meaning it loops from one receptacle to the next) if not coming from a "hidden" GFCI. Sometimes the receptacles are wired on the push slots and not on the terminal screws. Hope this will help, good luck