Electrical guide
A GFCI compares the current going out on the hot with the current returning on the neutral. If they differ by more than about 5 milliamps, some of it is going somewhere it should not — possibly through a person — and the device cuts power in a fraction of a second. It is one of the genuinely great safety inventions.
Genuine moisture. Outdoor and garage GFCIs trip after rain because water is on the circuit. Dry it, then reset.
A failing appliance. Older fridges, freezers, sump pumps and power tools develop small leakage currents as motor windings age. If the same appliance trips it every time, the appliance is the fault.
Shared neutrals. A GFCI on a circuit whose neutral is shared with another circuit will nuisance trip. This needs an electrician to sort out.
The device itself. GFCIs have a service life of roughly ten to fifteen years and fail more often than standard outlets. A unit that will not reset with nothing plugged in is usually just done.
Unplug everything on the circuit, press reset. If it holds, add loads back one at a time. If it will not reset empty, check whether it is fed from another GFCI upstream — one device in a garage frequently protects half a dozen outlets elsewhere, which is why a dead bathroom outlet is so often fixed by a reset in the garage. Test every GFCI in your home monthly with the test button; it takes two minutes.
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