Hello, I guess I’m facing my first property damage, even though I taped the outside outlets, my customers contacted me saying none of her outlets work, so, I know how to replace an outlet, but is there anything else that could’ve gotten ruined that requires an electrician to fix? I’m gonna go Monday to take a look at it and make sure it’s not just a tripped breaker or something like that, just want some insight from someone who has gone through this already, how high of a bill should I be expecting to have from this?
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I think is just tripped GFCI outlet. Find outlet and reset.
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If it’s just a few outlets on a circuit then it might be a GFI tripped, sometimes in the garage. If all outlets are out in the house, that doesn’t sound good. Hopefully juts GFI.
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I agree with the others. It’s likely just a tripped gfci. One gfci is used to protect more than one outlet.
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Check the GFCI‘s and the breakers before replacing an outlet. And, depending on customer, you may want to contract that out for the fear of IF ANYTHING happens years down the road at that outlet, they are going to remember that the powerwashing guy did it, and not a licensed electrician.
It’s only her outside outlets, I’ll be there on Monday and if I can’t get them to work by flipping breakers and resetting gfci I’m just gonna call an electrician and move on, it just sucks, I guess I have to tape them even more from now on and spray even lighter around them, thank you everyone!
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I pay about $75 an outlet for fried gfi’s. We fry one on about every 30 or 40 houses. Would probably be less if we taped them. Apartments are a different story. We probably pop 10 or more a week on those. Those are the property managements problem though. Maintenance replaces them and charges the tenant. Always pay an electrician to replace them if you are responsible, don’t do it yourself.
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Sounds like the GFCI tripped, should be one in her garage, like you said, just reset it. It’s happened to me even after taping well, any moisture and they trip. You should be fine though.
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Make sure to check inside outlets for a GFI if not found outside. Sometimes outside outlets are on same line as inside GFI. Likely just one tripped GFI
Update: went there, reset all of the gfci’s in the house and the breaker for the outside outlets, everything started working as it should, I wouldn’t have figured out on my own that the inside gfcis would cut power to the outside outlets. Thanks everyone! Y’all saved me from an electrician service call
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Good deal! 
Future reference if the outlet is wet it will keep tripping the GFI till it dries. Wait a day or two for them to dry before you reset GFIs. If they keep popping they are still wet and let the customer know.
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Throw the homeowner a bone tell them to get one of these and not have that issue again. (for those who don’t want to click the link it is a weatherproof cover for an outlet, specifcally GFI in this case). I have one on my deck, it has never tripped and I have sprayed it with a garden hose and a pressure washer. They last about 7-10 years before the sun starts degrading the clear cover. You could clean it up, but for $7, throw it out. You must install the foam or it doesn’t work, that is what seals it.
I am not recommending this model, it was just the first pic I could find.
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I hear about guys not taping up and doing fine with it. However, I had an issue on just about every house for a about a week straight when I was starting out and just decided to to tape everything up from then on. Idk, maybe I was just doing something wrong back then but it always amazes me that people can get by without the tape.
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We fry gfi’s on apartments because we can’t see if the covers are closed on the second and third floor balconies. That’s not really my problem and the maintenance staff deals with it. Houses are kinda a crap shoot. If we see something that looks like it might be a problem we tape it. Usually just the door bell.
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Dear Mr I’m the most Professional Water Squirter Ever,
If we taped?
If?
I’m shocked that a professional of your caliber doesn’t take the time to do this!
Tell your customers to hire a Real Professional next time and Ill come tape the outlets and do it right. With my little 4gpm non professional machine with a knob on it😂
All the chastising you do on here about being so Professional and you don’t even tape outlets!
That’s funny stuff right there!
I carry one of those non contact voltage testers now, I wonder if it’s a little overkill but I’m testing the outlets for voltage real quick as part as my initial walk of the property, just in case they’re not working to begin with, I can notifying the customer and document
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That’s overkill.
Ok, post your name and number so I’ll know who to tell them to call. Always looking for professionals
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He can’t reply right now, he’s in a time out.
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