I drove nearly an hour to push a button.
This was back when I first started in the inspection industry. A client called in to tell us that her bathroom outlet was not working. I had inspected the property for her days before and had not found anything wrong with the outlets, so I was surprised when the company I worked for at the time said I needed to drive out there and figure out what was going on.
When I got there, I went straight to the hall bathroom where the GFCI reset was. I pushed the button and restored power. I was her hero.
As it turns out, she had somehow tripped the outlet while drying her hair. Having only lived in the property for a short time, she had no idea that the owner suite bathroom outlet was connected to the hall. While I was glad to be able to help my client, she could have been happily drying her hair in the bathroom instead of in her kitchen if she had known to check the outlet.
If you don't have power in a bathroom, the exterior, or your garage, there is a decent chance that it is just a tripped outlet. Simply check any of your outlets that have buttons on them. Push the one that says test (usually red on older outlets, while newer ones will often be totally white with tiny lettering etched into the buttons). Sometimes, your resets may be in unexpected locations. Your reset might be in the garage or in one of the hall bathrooms. Occasionally with older homes, and commonly with new ones, the reset button is actually on the breaker in the electric panel.
Still can't find the reset? If I have done an inspection for you, give me a call or send me an email. I might be able to help you find it.
