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The "TEST" button is not intended as an "off" switch. Edit: except this one is designed for that purpose. Tripping the device when not in use might help the internal electronics avoid surge/spike damage. Might, depending on which side of the interrupt the electronics are on.

However, for an GFCI device kept in the mean outdoors, that is the least of your problems, as discussed elsewhere. The small amount of heat from the GFCI may help ward off condensation. The best way to extend the life of a GFCI is move it indoors.

Almost all GFCI devices, including "receptacles", are able to grant GFCI protection to additional devices. You can put one of those indoors somewhere earlier in the circuit, and have it grant GFCI protection to the rest of the circuit, including the outdoor receptacle. That becomes a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker. Test using a 3-light tester which has a GFCI test button.

TLDR: Being energized isn't what kills outdoor GFCIs. The weather is. Put 'em indoors and protect the (plain) outdoor outlets using their LOAD feature.

The "TEST" button is not intended as an "off" switch. Edit: except this one is designed for that purpose. Tripping the device when not in use might help the internal electronics avoid surge/spike damage. Might, depending on which side of the interrupt the electronics are on.

However, for an GFCI device kept in the mean outdoors, that is the least of your problems, as discussed elsewhere. The small amount of heat from the GFCI may help ward off condensation. The best way to extend the life of a GFCI is move it indoors.

Almost all GFCI devices, including "receptacles", are able to grant GFCI protection to additional devices. You can put one of those indoors somewhere earlier in the circuit, and have it grant GFCI protection to the rest of the circuit, including the outdoor receptacle. That becomes a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker. Test using a 3-light tester which has a GFCI test button.

The "TEST" button is not intended as an "off" switch. Tripping the device when not in use might help the internal electronics avoid surge/spike damage. Might, depending on which side of the interrupt the electronics are on.

However, for an GFCI device kept in the mean outdoors, that is the least of your problems, as discussed elsewhere. The small amount of heat from the GFCI may help ward off condensation. The best way to extend the life of a GFCI is move it indoors.

Almost all GFCI devices, including "receptacles", are able to grant GFCI protection to additional devices. You can put one of those indoors somewhere earlier in the circuit, and have it grant GFCI protection to the rest of the circuit, including the outdoor receptacle. That becomes a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker. Test using a 3-light tester which has a GFCI test button.

The "TEST" button is not intended as an "off" switch. Edit: except this one is designed for that purpose. Tripping the device when not in use might help the internal electronics avoid surge/spike damage. Might, depending on which side of the interrupt the electronics are on.

However, for an GFCI device kept in the mean outdoors, that is the least of your problems, as discussed elsewhere. The small amount of heat from the GFCI may help ward off condensation. The best way to extend the life of a GFCI is move it indoors.

Almost all GFCI devices, including "receptacles", are able to grant GFCI protection to additional devices. You can put one of those indoors somewhere earlier in the circuit, and have it grant GFCI protection to the rest of the circuit, including the outdoor receptacle. That becomes a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker. Test using a 3-light tester which has a GFCI test button.

You really have 3 dedicated circuits that serve nothing but 1 outdoor receptacle each? That would indicate you have the coolest electrician ever! I think in reality, you would find that turning off those 3 breakers will shut off power to other parts of your house.

If that is the case, shutting them off may not be an option. The next step is finding if those indoor outlets** are upstream of the outdoor GFCI. If so, see if you can move the GFCI to the indoor upstream location, feed the rest of the circuit off the LOAD terminals, and now you don't have to worry about valuable GFCIs getting rained on.

Otherwise you may not have a choice, unless you are able to bypass the outdoor receptacles so they are on a branch of the circuit.

** "outlet" is the word for any point-of-use, including both receptacles and any hard-wired loads like lights (including their switches), gas furnace, gas water heater, etc.

The "TEST" button is not intended as an "off" switch. Tripping the device when not in use might help the internal electronics avoid surge/spike damage. Might, depending on which side of the interrupt the electronics are on.

However, for an GFCI device kept in the mean outdoors, that is the least of your problems, as discussed elsewhere. The small amount of heat from the GFCI may help ward off condensation. The best way to extend the life of a GFCI is move it indoors.

Almost all GFCI devices, including "receptacles", are able to grant GFCI protection to additional devices. You can put one of those indoors somewhere earlier in the circuit, and have it grant GFCI protection to the rest of the circuit, including the outdoor receptacle. That becomes a plain receptacle with a "GFCI protected" sticker. Test using a 3-light tester which has a GFCI test button.