How to Reset Your Gfci Circuit Breaker

 You might have heard about the broken gfci circuit breaker, or about the need to reset it. The gfci circuit breaker is a device that you place inside your home that prevents electrical power from entering your home.

When it senses that there is an intruder or activity in your home, the gfci relay detects this and tries to shut down the power. Instead of just relying on the breaker to shut off the power, as is the case with most rebooting devices, the gfci device attempts to bypass the breaker and turn it off itself. When the gfci breaker senses that there is a potential risk of electrical shock or an intruder in the home, it breaks and brings the power back up. It’s like this with any rebooting. The first time that you try it, it might not work all the first time around. That’s normal and you can try again later. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a great way to keep your home grounded and your kids safe.

What is a Gfci Circuit Breaker?

A gfci circuit breaker is a device that prevents electrical power from entering your home. It checks if there is actually an electrical risk in the house and if there is, it kicks off a safety mechanism that prevents the power from reaching the appliances and electronics in the home. The device removes the potential risk by enabling you to shut off the power to both appliances and electronics at the same time. If there is actually a risk of damage, the breaker then senses that and attempts to shut down the power. If you have another device in your home that triggers the gfci, it kicks off the gfci switch and then relays the power to the other devices in the home. It’s like a do-more-more switch. The gfci device is an essential part of home security.

How to reset a gfci circuit breaker

Your gfci circuit breaker will reset when it senses that there is a potential risk of electrical shock or an intruder in the home. You can try resetting it with a high-voltage wire, but it’s not always successful. It might take you a few tries to get it to change its mind and start working. If it keeps putting off the electrical signals, you might need a higher-current wire. Try it at a less current level first. If it still won’t work, call a professional.

Why does my gfci circuit breaker quit working?

It might be because you’re using a broken gfci. In most cases, this is because the wire that is broken is too long. If you’re measuring volts, it’s too long to be a good indicator of what the breaker is doing. The best bet is to check to see if there is a short in the home. If so, cut the wire and try it from the other end. If the short is short, the whole thing is bad. Your gfci might be out of commission.

How to check if your gfci circuit breaker is working Properly

You can’t just plug in and see if your gfci circuit breaker works. You’ll need to use the included tools to check the breaker’s signs of life. To do this, unplug the circuit breaker and untwist theigator. If the sign of life indicator lamp on the side of the breaker is lit, that means the wire is probably too long or the breaker is maybe out of service. If it’s really dark outside and there’s no sign of life, you can always remove the lamp and try it in the other room.

Resetting a gfci circuit breaker with a switch or a pull-down switch

It might also be a good idea to try removing the switch when you’re completely out of power. If the system still won’t power off even with the switch out of the house, you probably have a problem with the switch. You can try unplugging it and then unplugging the electrical power to the house from the disconnected switch. This should at least give the electrical system one more shot at being alive before pulling the plug.

Conclusion

Your home has so much power, it can kill you. There’s no sense in being afraid of it. If you have a gfci circuit breaker in your home, you need to get it working so that you don’t have to worry about potential electric shock or an intruder in your home. There are a few things you can do to get your gfci circuit breaker working properly.

Partial list:

- Try unplugging the electrical power to the house from the disconnected switch. This should give the electrical system one more shot at being alive before pulling the plug.

- Remove the switch when you’re completely out of power.

- Wait 1-3 hours before attempting to turn on the electrical system again. This is to make sure that there is no trace of the initial problem still in the switching circuitry.

- Avoid using a high current wire. It might be connected to a long wire and will have to be manually untwisted.

- Use a low current wire to your advantage.

- If your gfci circuit breaker is out of service, you can still turn on the electrical system from the other side of the house by connecting it to a low-current wire. To prevent potential shock, always wear gloves when working with low-current power.

- Finally, take your gfci circuit breaker up to temperature before turning it off and on again.

- Enjoy your new home!