All GFCI receptacles have two buttons on their face marked TEST and RESET. A good practice would be to test these devices about once a month or so to make sure they’re still working properly. Simply press the TEST button. This will cause the RESET button to trip and power to the outlet should be turned off. Power is restored when the RESET button is pressed back in. The receptacle should be replaced if any of the following occurs after pressing the TEST button: the RESET button does not pop out; power to the outlet is not cut off; pressing the RESET button does not restore power to the outlet. These are all signs that the outlet is no longer providing shock protection and it could be hazardous to continue using it.

Some people may ask, “why do I have to test these receptacles so often?” The reason is that some older GFCI receptacles can go bad, but still provide power to the outlet. These outlets, while providing power, are NOT providing shock protection. Without regular testing by you, there is no way to find out these outlets aren’t providing shock protection until it’s too late.

Lastly, some houses may have a GFCI circuit breaker in the electric panel instead of a GFCI receptacle. In this scenario, regular outlets are used, since the shock protection comes from the GFCI circuit breaker. This breaker has a test button on its face that when pressed, will cause the circuit breaker to trip (the middle breaker in the picture to the right is a GFCI breaker - notice the yellow TEST button). Power is quickly restored by resetting the circuit breaker. When testing a GFCI breaker, you should check to make sure the outlets are not ‘live’ after the breaker is tripped. While this protection is equal to the protection provided by the GFCI receptacle, most people prefer the receptacle type, since it’s easier to reset it after a fault, since you don’t have to walk all the way to the electric panel location.