Answer what you can see below. This ranks the likely causes, gives you one safe next check, and tells you clearly when to stop and call a licensed electrician.
Stop and call a licensed electrician or emergency services now if there's smoke, sparks, a burning smell, heat, shock, or water near the problem. Otherwise it's safe to answer the questions below.
What can you see?
Diagnosis
Example result — change the answers on the left and the ranking updates for your situation.
Most likely cause
Moisture / water intrusion creating a leakage path to ground
Ranked by fit to your answers
1
Moisture / water intrusion creating a leakage path to ground
65
2
A downstream wiring fault (damaged/pinched cable or a neutral-to-ground contact)
40
3
The GFCI device itself has failed (will not reset with power confirmed and no load)
35
SAFE NEXT CHECKInspect this and any downstream boxes for water/corrosion; dry and seal, and outdoors move to a weather-resistant GFCI with an in-use cover before retesting.
Where to stop. Resetting and plug-in testing are homeowner-safe. Opening the box, checking terminals, or rewiring line/load means live conductors — if you cannot do that safely with the power off at the breaker, stop and call a licensed electrician. Water plus electricity is a shock hazard; do not keep resetting a wet outlet. This is general information, not a quote and not a substitute for a licensed electrician.
Rule trace — why this ranking
Trips with nothing connected in a post-moisture context — water reaching the circuit is the leading cause. +65
Trips with no load: the leakage is in the wiring it feeds or the device, not an appliance. +40
An internally failed GFCI also trips with no load; ranked below wiring/moisture until those are excluded. +35
What to do next
Try the safe next check above. If it doesn't resolve the problem — or if sorting it out would mean opening a panel, touching wiring, or anything past a simple visual check — stop and call a licensed electrician. Don't replace parts on a guess.
Named standards and manufacturer guidance, re-verified on a freshness schedule. When a source cannot be re-verified, the dependent rule is suppressed rather than asserted.
No. A GFCI works by comparing current on hot and neutral, not by using the ground wire, so it resets and protects on two-wire circuits. A missing ground is a separate issue a tester flags.
Can one GFCI stop several outlets from working?
Yes. A single GFCI can feed downstream standard outlets; if it trips, those go dead. Check for a tripped upstream GFCI before assuming the dead outlets are broken.
It clicks but won't stay reset — what does that mean?
It is detecting a fault the instant power returns, or it has power on the wrong terminals. Unplug all loads and retry; if it still won't hold with power confirmed and nothing connected, the device has likely failed.
Electrical Fault Check provides general diagnostic information only. It is not professional advice, not a quote, and not a substitute for a licensed electrician. Do not work on live wiring. If you see smoke, sparks, burning smell, heat, shock, water exposure, or repeated tripping, stop using the circuit and contact a licensed electrician or emergency services as appropriate.