Red Light on GFCI Outlet: Fixed with Step-by-Step Guide Explained

The GFCI outlet is built in a way to prevent severe injuries by continuously monitoring the electrical current and if there is even a minor imbalance it will cut off the power in the circuit. There are many features of the GFCI outlet such as test and reset buttons and LED lights which have different colors according to the issues. This article will guide you about the red light on GFCI outlet and the steps to fix the problem. 

Key takeaways:

The main cause of indicating a red light is because of the overload in the circuit. it can also show a red light because of tripping if the GFCI switch of a nearby outlet which makes the other GFCI outlet trip too.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

You need to read below are mentioned reasons for a red light on the GFCI outlet and how to fix the problem.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet:

The following are some reasons due which the outlet activates the right light on GFCI outlet:

Bad wiring:

Bad wiring of the GFCI outlet may cause it to trip. So during the wiring processing, you need to be careful and inspect where the wires are not worn or broken. 

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Ground fault:

Having bad wiring in the process of wiring a GFCI outlet can lead to ground problems and detecting any ground fault will trip the switch. the following are some reasons which can lead to a ground fault:

  • Frayed wiring.
  • Poor installation.
  • Moisture.
Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Faulty outlet:

In case you are blinking the red light as soon as the switch is turned on then it could be a fault with the outlet itself only. A faulty outlet means that the GFCI outlet is detected right out of the box and if you use it the red light will start blinking.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Circuit overload:

The reason behind indicating red light on GFCI outlet causing tripping of the outlet can be due to overloading. The circuit does have limits for handling the electronic equipment in the same circuit and if the limits are crossed it leads to overloading and tripping of the GFCI outlet.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Tripped the GFCI switch nearby:

In case of sharing the same circuit at a time by more than two GFCI outlets which can lead to tripping or showing red light on GFCI outlet if any one of the GFCI outlets fails the other GFCI outlet will also trip due to the circuit failure.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Damaged GFCI outlet:

The reason for a red light on GFCI outlet can be due to the wear and tear of the GFCI outlet. The average lifespan of the GFCI outlet is considered 25 years and if the GFCI outlet experiences power surges it will wear faster than the average lifespan.

Red Light on GFCI Outlet
Red Light on GFCI Outlet

Self-test failed:

If the test which is taken in the starting and it fails then. and if you start blinking the red light it shows the test has failed and there is something wrong. 

You can check the video also of what causes the blinking of the red light on GFCI outlet that is mentioned below:

Fixing the red light on the GFCI outlet:

The following are some solutions to fix the problem step by step:

  • Activating the GFCI manually.
  • Reset the outlet.
  • Change the outlet.
  • Replace the wires.

Activating the GFCI manually:

You can fix the problem easily by pushing the test button on the GFCI outlet and check the red light blinking off then you have fixed the problem.

Reset the outlet:

Resetting the outlet of GFCI can also fix the problem of the blinking red light on GFCI outlet.

For that, you need to just press the reset button and if the socket is gain the current in the circuit then the red light will not blink again and shows the green light which means that the system is ready to function again.

Change the outlet:

If the red light on GFCI outlet appears again after resetting the circuit then it indicates that there must be a problem in the outlet only and you need to change the outlet to make the system run properly.

Replace the wires:

You need to replace the wire if you notice that the wires are not in good condition which means that worn-out wires are able to show blinking of the red light on GFCI outlet. The replacement of the wire should be done irresponsibly because it is a very dangerous task so you can hire an electrician to replace the wire.

You can check the video below to learn the fixing practically:

Conclusion:

From the above article, we can conclude that the flashing of the red light on GFCI outlet indicates that there is a problem with the current flow and you can easily go through the article and learn how to fix those problems and make the outlet run power again.

FAQ’s

Wiring a GFCI outlet in a series is harmful? 

Yes, you should not wear the outlet in series which can cause inappropriate receiving of the voltage so always wire the GFCI outlet in series. 

Rick Costa

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