Reference
How often should you test GFCI outlets?
Press the test button on every GFCI outlet every 6 months, and replace any that will not trip or reset. That is the interval the HomeAlmanac app schedules for this job, adjusted for the systems your home actually has.
- How often
- Every 6 months
- Time needed
- 10 min
- Best time
- Any time of year
- Priority
- Medium
Why it matters
GFCI outlets in kitchens, baths, and outdoors protect against electric shock, but only if they still trip correctly.
How to do it
Press TEST (power should cut), then RESET. Replace any outlet that doesn't trip or won't reset.
When to do it
There is no season for this one. What matters is the interval, which is exactly the kind of thing that quietly slips when you are tracking it in your head.
HomeAlmanac schedules this one for you, works out the next due date each time you mark it done, and reminds you before it is late.
Build your free planQuick answers
- How often should you test GFCI outlets?
- Press the test button on every GFCI outlet every 6 months, and replace any that will not trip or reset.
- Why does it matter?
- GFCI outlets in kitchens, baths, and outdoors protect against electric shock, but only if they still trip correctly.
- What happens if I skip it?
- Nothing, right up until it is expensive. These jobs are cheap and quick precisely because they are preventive; the repair they prevent is neither.