Forum / Home, Plumbing & Electrical
✅ GFCI outlet trips instantly with nothing plugged in. Replace it or is something downstream?
@thrift_queen_mo
Oct 17, 2026 · 1.5k views
Kitchen counter GFCI. Reset, trips immediately. Nothing plugged in anywhere on the circuit as far as I can tell.
31
2 replies
✅ Accepted solution
Pull the GFCI, disconnect the LOAD wires (the ones feeding downstream outlets), reset it. If it holds, the fault is downstream; check for a wet outside outlet on the same circuit, that is the number one culprit. If it still trips with nothing on LOAD, the GFCI itself is dead; they do fail. Breaker off before you touch anything.
25
It was the outside outlet for me, twice. Bubble cover and dielectric grease on the terminals fixed it for good.
18
Log in to reply.