Q: I went to use my hairdryer in the bathroom, but I discovered some of the outlets have stopped working. My GFCI test button won’t push in when I try to reset it, but nothing has tripped in the ...

If your outlet has red and black buttons, it's likely in the kitchen, bathroom, or garage, and those buttons serve an essential safety function.

Note: Not every big plug is doing the same job. On hair tools and high-heat appliances, the “brick” typically provides ground-fault protection (ALCI/GFCI/RCD). On many low-voltage electronics (laptops ...