Common Household Items You Didn’t Know Had Reset Buttons

Is there anything more gratifying than a reset button? When your cell phone is acting finicky, you reset it and suddenly the world returns to normal, right? Turns out there are a bunch of household items that have one, and knowing a problem can be fixed by pushing a button — instead of shouting and swearing, or worse, calling customer service or a repair service —might just save your sanity.

Some of these will be quite familiar, but there are a few that you might not know about. Like many things, you’ll want to check your specific model (you saved all your manuals, right?) to learn about the reset option.

Garbage Disposal: If your disposal stops dead in its tracks, make sure the switch is turned to the off position and look for a red button on the bottom of the unit. Press, turn on the cold water slowly and flip the wall switch to “on”. It’s a great fix to try before calling a handyman!

Cable Modem/Router: If you’ve ever had to call customer service you know the first thing they ask you to do is push the tiny pin button in the back. If you are unfamiliar with this button, please let us all know what internet provider you have, so we can all switch companies.

GFCI Outlets: In this case, GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. You might have seen these outlets suddenly turn off while blow-drying your hair in the bathroom, or if you have too many appliances running in the kitchen. (They also go off if an appliance comes in contact with water. Score! Safety for everyone!) When it happens, just push the button, reset and carry on with life.

Outlet Strips: Outlet strips aren’t just there to make plugging in more items more convenient, they are there to regulate power and protect your things from a sudden surge. If something goes wrong (or your cat jumps on it), most have a switch to flip.

Master Breakers: If you’ve ever had the lights go out in your apartment or home, the first thing to check is the breaker box (wherever it’s located). Although it doesn’t have a button exactly, there’s usually a big red lever to reset, giving you the chance to proclaim, “Let there be light!”

Home Assistants (Echo/Home): These small devices can get just as overworked as the other electronics we have come to depend on in our everyday lives. If yours is unresponsive, or you need to get rid of presets and start all over again, this little button will do it.

Roku: I love my Roku and not being tied to a cable box, but I’ve had to reset it more than a few times in its life. Similar to your cable box, a pinhole button is located on the back of the device.

Furnace: Because a furnace is always connected to a power source in some capacity, there is usually a reset button. Typically, it’s red and located near the burner on the front. Just make sure the gas supply is off before resetting. Press, turn gas back on and reignite. Google the specifics of your home’s furnace model for extra help.

Small Space Heaters: Sometimes there’s a power surge, or your space heater powers down because it’s not level, or too close to a wall. Like their larger counterparts, space heaters have reset buttons if yours stops working. Look for the button near the cord.

Dyson Upright Vacuums: Some models have a special reset button located on the handle. If your beater bar jams, you’ll have to unscrew the vacuum and remove the blockages. Hit the brush bar button to reset before plugging it back in.

Table Saw: If your blade binds (otherwise known as getting stuck in the wood while cutting), or the motor gets too hot, your table saw will shut down. Don’t panic, just hit the reset button on the motor and make sure your blade isn’t binding on your next cut. After that, you should be right as rain.

Washer/Dryer: If your washer or dryer is cool enough to have electronic presets (where you set a standard load temperature or wash/dry cycle for example), there is often a series of buttons that can reset your units back to manufacturer settings. When electrical glitches happen, and they do happen, sometime your appliances need a little reset. Again, check your manual or google your particular model.

Is there something else you know of that should be added to the list? Let us know in the comments below!