I have two GFCI circuits. One of them stopped working so I checked the breaker box. The breaker was not tripped so I turned it off, then on. Circuit still did not work and the breaker test button does nothing (does not trip the breaker).
Do I need a new breaker? Any other possibility?
The breaker is bad...unless for some reason (such as a burned bus bar) it's not getting power
Remember, you usually have to push it all the way to the off position to reset the pawl. Sometimes you have to push pretty hard. If still no joy ... Disconnect the load terminals and try to reset/test the breaker. If still no joy, you have a bad breaker.
dadiOH-
You may have a ground fault and the breaker is doing its job.
Fred
Check to see if there is voltage on the input to the GFCI. If you don't have a voltmeter, you shouldn't be messing around with this sort of thing, find a handy neighbor.
Yea, save your ass and let the neighbor get his ass electrocuted.
It sounds to me like it's bad, but you might have a fault in the line that it goes to. Assuming you know what you're doing, open the box, and remove the wires coming from it. Then see if it resets and connect a multimeter to it. (set to AC volts at or above 120V). You could also have one leg of your 120/240 not working, but you'd probably have other things not working in the house.
You could also try to swap them, since you have two of them, if they are the same amperage.
I've not run across too many of the GFCI breakers, but I do have one in my house. But I have quite a few GFCI outlets, most of them are in outdoor boxes, and have had to replace several of them over the years. However, being outdoors, even in boxes intended for outdoor use, they do seem to get water in them, and that kills them. Regular outlets in outdoor boxes seem to handle a little water, if they are being used (covers open) when it rains, but I think the GFCIs get water in around the buttons. But I may have solved that problem by putting a little "roof" over the box. A local restaurant gets cooking oil in sturdy plastic 5 gallon jugs, which are just thrown away. I got some of them, and cut them to make these "roofs" above the box. Getting two from each jug. Dont cost me a cent and seems to work well.
Yea, I know they sell plastic covers that go over these outdoor boxes and are supposed to protect these outlets from water when something is plugged into them. I'm sure they work, but they are pricey, and are made from a hard plastic which looks like it will shatter in cold weather or if something bumps against them. The plastic from these jugs is a soft plastic, and I cut it to an angle so water drips off, then I just screw it to the wall above outlet.
I went a little off the topic, but I have found that GFCI outlets tend to fail in tough conditions. Maybe the GFCI breakers are more prone to failure than regular ones too..... I'm not sure! Either way, I hope this helps.
And, if you plan on replacing the breaker yourself, check to see if there is voltage on the output from the GFCI, right inside the breaker box.
But iiuc the second test won't change what Fred said. I guess to test that, you should disconnect the output wire from the breaker, while the breaker stays in place, and try to reset it again and measure the output voltage again.
I find it better to use an alligator clip on the black meter lead, so I can clip it to a suitable location, usually a ground, and then pay my FULL attention to putting the metal parts of the other lead in the right place. I dont want to pay attention to my right hand, then have the probe in my left hand slip and take my attention away from my right hand, and then let the probe in the left hand or my hand itself touch something really bad!!
Could someone by mistake have put another fuse or breaker, maybe a GFCI breaker, downstream from the one in the main breaker box?
Yes.
Meanie posted for all of us...
Darwin!
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