3 outlets in bathroom stopped working

Let me preface this by stating I know very little about any sort of electrical work. I will try and describe my problem to see if anyone has any ideas.

This morning my wife was trying to dry her hair (you can see the importance of this issue!!) just like she does every morning and the one outlet she usually uses didnt work top or bottom. There were 2 other outlets in the area that had the same issue.

We have 2 GFI's in the bathroom, and I am going to assume that the lights/these 3 sockets for the bathroom are all connected. Neither of the GFI's were tripped. The funny part is that even though the 3 outlets did not work, all the lights in the bathroom did!!

Now, in the past when a GFI has been tripped, the outlets nor the lights worked. This issue seems to just be the outlets having no power.

I have not tested the outlets other than try plugging a different device into the outlets to make sure it just wasnt the hair dryer that was broken. They didnt work.

If anyone has any ideas of what the isse can be, please let me know. If you need additional info, let me know as well. I have tried to describe the problem as much as I could in my terms and the bottom line is the GFI isnt tripped, 3 outlets dont work but the lights do. Thanks for any advice in advance!

mgd

 

Have you turned off the breaker for the circuit then back on. It doesn't matter if it looks striped or not. Have you tried every GFCI in the house including garage and basement plus ones out side and looked for forgotten ones behind furniture?

I know you think you know which GFCI it is but you could have two GFCIs on the same circuit.

 

I turned off the breaker for the circuit off then back on again. I have not checked ALL the GFI's in the house though. Is it possible that another GFI has tripped causing the sockets not to work?? Wouldnt the lights in the bathroom not work either then or do they operate independently?? I do know that if the GFI in the bathroom tripps that the lights AND the sockets dont work. Thanks

 

You may have to start opening boxes if it isn't a GFCI. Move any back stabbed wires in ordinary receptacles to the side screws. GFCI receptacles have side clamps not back stabs. Those connections are OK but need to be checked for tightness. All wire nuts need to be checked in receptacle boxes, switch boxes, and light fixture boxes. Some say to tug on the wires to the wire nut. That is one good way to check. I prefer to replace the wire nuts just to be doubly sure.

 

Yes, the lights and receptacles in the bathroom are often on different circuits.

Before doing anything more, go to your home center and spend $8 on an outlet tester, a device that plugs into a receptacle and has three lamps on it.

Whenever a failure is coincident with a hair dryer, space heater or vacuum cleaner, I usually suspect a failed backstab has caused an open neutral. However, in a bathroom, a tripped GFCI is also highly suspect. The simple outlet tester can tell you which of these two problems you are looking for.

If you tell us in what year your house was built, we can tell you the most likely places to look for another GFCI.

Please fill in the location field of your profile for best advice.

 

Thanks for your help guys. I found the GFI that was tripped, but it was in the upstairs bathroom. I reset it and the outlets work now. I would have never thought to check the upstairs bathrooms GFI for the outlets for the downstairs bathroom