The power is out... in all your bathrooms... at the same time. What’s going on? The fan still works, and the vanity lights work, but there’s no power at the outlets.
This can happen on occasion and can certainly be a concern, especially if everyone is getting ready for school or work at the same time.
An understanding of your home’s electrical system, its workings, and how the electrical code requires bathrooms to be wired can help. Luckily, there’s usually a simple explanation and fix for this scenario.
Basic electrical requirements for bathrooms
In short, the International Code Council requires protection to prevent electrical shock in bathrooms. Electrical outlets in bathrooms must be on their own 20-amp circuit and protected by a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Protector). If you are not familiar with a GFCI, it helps to keep you from getting electrocuted. You can learn more about how GFCIs work here.
The bathroom circuit only needs to have one GFCI outlet or breaker to protect all of the bathrooms. This simplifies things for the electrician, but can be confusing for a homeowner. See the image below for a better understanding.
Checking the GFCI
Most commonly, the reason for a loss of power in a bathroom is that the GFCI has tripped. It’s good to know which bathroom the GFCI is located in just in case you need to reset it.
Often times, the electrician will install the GFCI in the master bathroom or the most commonly used bathroom. This isn’t always the case, as sometimes it gets installed where it’s easiest for the electrician.
There may be an orange or red light glowing on the GFCI outlet, which indicates that the circuit has been tripped, and the reset button will have popped out. Simply press the button to reset the GFCI. You have successfully solved the problem and will be regarded as a hero by your family. Great Job!
Some things to consider
If you find a GFCI in one of the bathrooms and it isn’t tripped, it doesn’t mean that this isn’t an issue. Check every bathroom because sometimes a previous homeowner may have installed a GFCI at every bathroom outlet. This is unnecessary; only the first outlet on the circuit needs a GFCI.
When GFCIs were first introduced, there was usually only one GFCI on the circuit that connected the garage, bathroom(s), and exterior outlets. If the GFCI is not in a bathroom, it may be in the garage.
As with all things, GFCIs are also prone to failure. GFCIs exposed to high moisture, such as hot steamy showers or high outdoor humidity, may not reset after being tripped. A GFCI that doesn’t reset will have to be replaced.
Check the panel
If you can’t find a tripped GFCI, the bathroom breaker in the panel may have been tripped. Hopefully, the breakers in your panel have been properly labeled.
If you find a tripped breaker, it can be reset by flipping the switch to the off position, then back to the on position. If it resets, you should now have power back to the bathroom circuit.
In newer homes, there’s a chance there are no GFCIs in any of the bathrooms, and the GFCI may be in the breaker itself. In this case, you will see a yellow button next to the switch on the 20-amp bathroom breaker. The yellow button is the test button. If power is lost, it will be tripped and must be reset as previously described.
During the course of the home inspection, we test and reset all GFCIs as well as evaluate the electrical panel. Your home inspector will describe the basics of the GFCIs, the types of breakers in your panel, and what they do.
If all else fails, call a professional electrician
If you have power to the panel, every outlet has been checked, and you don’t have a tripped breaker, it may be time to call an electrician. Sometimes a problem can be outside of your skill set. Hopefully, you can solve the problem yourself, but if you can’t, a professional electrician can make the proper evaluation and repairs.
Visit our website to learn more or to schedule your home inspection in the Rochester, Owatonna, and Faribault, MN areas. You can contact us today at (507) 202-8942 or utilize our online “Schedule Now” feature to set up an appointment.