GFCI

Freezer in our garage started leaking water.  Turns out the wall socket wasn't working. My immediate thought was to replace it.  Not too bad... $7-10 from Home Depot.  What bugs me is... the front panel as a GFCI sticker on it, but there's no GFCI button.  Grrr....

I wasn't sure which breaker the socket was on... so I turned off all the breakers in the house.  Using the flashlight from my iPhone... I carefully removed the wires.  Then I turned on all the breakers to buzz out the wires only to find... zero volts!! So it's not the socket itself.  I give up. Nothing I can do at this point.

Had to call the landlord to get an electrician.  I sent him pictures and told him what I did.  He quickly responded... "Press the button on the GFCI circuit in the garage."  Then it dawns on me... duh... a socket can be on a GFCI circuit in series!!!!  There's zero volts because another circuit in series has tripped.  I finally locate that socket (it's 10 feet away), press the button and "presto", let there be light.  

And I call myself a EE.  Pssssh!