If you want to ensure your electrical system is safe, it’s essential that your house has some ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets and circuit breakers in certain places. GFCIs are an essential part of modern electrical systems and one of the main reasons electrical systems are safer than they once were. The purpose of these devices is to prevent an extremely dangerous electrical issue known as a ground fault. In this article, we’ll provide a full overview of exactly what ground faults are, how GFCIs protect against them, and everything else homeowners should know about these devices.
What’s a Ground Fault?
Electrical circuits are normally closed loops. That means the current flowing out of an electrical panel into a circuit travels through the live wires that feed all the outlets, lights, and switches before then traveling back to the panel through the neutral wire. A ground fault is when the current escapes and flows out of the live wire.
Ground faults generally occur as a result of one of two issues. The first is water coming into contact with a live wire, resulting in the water conducting the electricity and allowing it to escape the circuit. In this situation, the current could potentially then flow through the water to any nearby metal object. The other time a ground fault can occur is if a damaged cord touches anything metal, resulting in the current flowing into the metal object.
In either situation, the metal object gets energized and basically becomes part of the circuit. If someone were then to touch the energized metal object, electricity would instantly start flowing through their body and fatally electrocute them or at least give them a severe shock. The reason is that electricity always takes whichever path that allows it to flow to the ground with as little resistance as possible. Human bodies are great conductors of electricity, meaning that a person would allow the electricity a low-resistance path to the ground.
An Overview of How GFCIs Work
GFCI outlets and circuit breakers have an internal mechanism that allows them to break the circuit and stop electricity from flowing if a ground fault occurs. The way these devices work is by monitoring how much current is flowing in from the live wire and back through the neutral wire. When a ground fault occurs, it results in less current flowing through the neutral wire as a result of the electricity escaping and taking a different path instead of traveling back through this wire. This drop in the electrical current allows a GFCI outlet to instantly detect a ground fault and break the circuit.
GFCIs are so sensitive that they can detect even minimal differences in the amperage of the current flowing through the two wires. They also activate in less than a tenth of a second. These two factors combined mean there’s little to no chance of a severe or fatal ground fault occurring. In fact, GFCIs are so effective that the number of electrocutions that have resulted due to ground faults has dropped by more than 90% since they were first introduced.
Where Are GFCIs Needed?
The National Electric Code (NEC) first required GFCI outlets or breakers in certain parts of new homes in 1971. At first, the only requirement was that all power receptacles outdoors had to be a GFCI outlet. The requirements were later updated to mandate that any receptacle within five feet of a potential water source or in any area like a basement that could be prone to flooding had a GFCI outlet. The code requirements have been updated over the years. All new construction homes are now required to use GFCI outlets or breakers in all the receptacles in a bathroom, kitchen, garage, utility room, and laundry room.
The NEC legally requires you to upgrade to GFCI outlets or breakers in all of these areas if you’re performing extensive renovations or major upgrades to your electrical system. Otherwise, you don’t have to add GFCIs in these areas if your house doesn’t already have them. Nonetheless, it’s a smart decision since it will help keep everyone safe.
GFCI Outlets vs. GFCI Breakers
All the outlets in certain parts of a home, like a bathroom, garage, or utility room, are typically connected to a single circuit. That means you have the option to install a GFCI breaker in your main electrical panel for this type of circuit or have a GFCI outlet at each power receptacle. Both options will ensure that the power instantly gets shut off if a ground fault occurs in an outlet or anything connected to an outlet. Nonetheless, GFCI outlets and breakers each have a few advantages and disadvantages.
Installing a GFCI breaker in your kitchen or any other place where you need GFCI protection is less expensive than replacing all the old outlets with GFCIs. On the other hand, GFCI outlets are much more convenient. A GFCI breaker will shut off the power to the entire circuit if a ground fault occurs. A GFCI outlet will just shut off the power to that receptacle, so you still have power to the rest of the outlets and everything else on that circuit. This is one reason why many people prefer having GFCI outlets in most parts of their homes. Nonetheless, the only way to protect against ground faults from a hard-wired appliance or on a 240-volt circuit is with a GFCI circuit breaker.
The Importance of Testing Your GFCIs Monthly
Like most other things, GFCIs can wear out over time and stop working. This is why it’s essential that you test all the outlets and breakers in your home monthly to ensure they still work properly. All GFCIs have a green light on them that shows you the outlet or breaker currently has power. When you press the “test” button on the outlet or breaker, the light should go off to show you that the internal mechanism activated and shut off the power to the outlet or the entire circuit. You can then press the “reset” button to turn the power back on. If the light doesn’t go out when you press the test button, it indicates the GFCI didn’t activate. You should call an electrician to replace that outlet or breaker.
If you want to ensure your home’s electrical system is as safe as possible, turn to the experts at Dawson's Electric & Air. With nearly 20 years of experience serving homeowners in Raleigh and throughout the Triangle Area, we’re the company to trust if you need an electrical inspection or any installation or repair service. Our skilled team of professional electricians has years of experience and can quickly and safely perform whatever it is you need done. Our dedication to excellence in workmanship and customer service is what makes clients come back to us over and over whenever they need any help with their electrical systems. When you choose us, you can be certain we’ll do the work correctly and won’t rest until you’re 100% satisfied. To schedule an appointment for GFCI installation or any other service, give us a call today.
