GFCI outlets are the perfect addition to your home. They prevent shocks and electrocutions by automatically shutting off power to the outlet when a ground fault is detected.
A ground fault occurs when electricity escapes from the wiring of an appliance or light fixture and takes a shortcut to the ground. This short cut can be deadly if it contacts human skin.
1. Prevents Shocks and Electrocutions
A GFCI outlet, or ground fault interrupter, is an electrical outlet that monitors the amount of electricity being sent to an appliance. If it detects any abnormality, it cuts power to prevent serious electrocutions.
Using GFCI outlets in your home is an important safety precaution, especially when you have young children or pets in the house. These outlets are usually located in areas where water and electricity can come into contact, such as bathrooms or kitchens.
Most GFCI outlets are designed to cut off the power before an electrocution occurs, which can help save lives. They are also good for preventing fires and electric leakages in your home, as they can detect an electrical leak and shut down the circuit to prevent damage.
These outlets are most often installed near sinks and showers, but they can be found in other wet areas of the home, such as unfinished basements, laundry rooms, garages and crawl spaces. In addition, they are required in many new constructions by law.
They are also useful in protecting you from falling powerlines, as they have a built-in sensor that cuts off the electricity if a wire is accidentally caught on a fall. This is particularly important in places where electricity tries to find its way into the ground, such as a swimming pool.
A GFCI outlet works by comparing the current that leaves the “hot” slot of an outlet to the current that comes back to the “neutral” slot. If they are not equal, it’s a sign that there is an electrical leak, which can be dangerous to your health and well-being.
Generally, it takes about a quarter of a second for an electric shock to reach your heart. So if you notice someone who has been shocked, it’s critical to call for emergency assistance as soon as possible.
The most common cause of shock is by sticking something into an electrical receptacle. This is most often done by children, but can happen to adults as well.
If you suspect that your child has stuck something into an outlet, do not touch them with bare hands. Instead, use rubber gloves to prevent a shock or injury.
2. Prevents Electrical Fires
Electrical fires are a leading cause of deaths and injuries in the United States. They are also the leading cause of property damage.
One of the most important things that you can do to prevent these types of accidents is to make sure that your home is well-wired. Faulty wiring is the most common reason that fires start in homes. It is not uncommon for older wiring to loosen and arc, creating excessive heat that can spark a fire.
GFCI outlets are a great way to prevent these types of problems from occurring in your home. They are easy to install and maintain, and they meet all of the necessary requirements to keep you safe from electrical fires.
These outlets are also extremely helpful in preventing shocks and electrocutions, as they shut off electricity when the flow of current from an outlet is interrupted by ground faults. This prevents anyone from suffering a painful electric shock or getting burnt and electrocuted.
In addition to these outlets, there are other electrical safety devices that you can use in your home to help keep you and your family safe from electric fires. These devices include fuses and circuit breakers.
The main function of fuses is to prevent overloads of your electrical system. This can occur when you plug too many items into an outlet, which can be dangerous. You should also ensure that each fuse has an amperage rating that is suitable for your circuit.
Another important feature of fuses is that they shut off the current to your circuit if it experiences an arcing fault, which can cause serious and potentially fatal injury or even death. GFCI outlets and AFCI breakers also help to protect against these types of occurrences, as they detect arcing faults in the flow of electricity and automatically shut off the power when they sense one.
Besides using these two safety devices, it is also important to check the wiring in your home and ensure that all outlets are grounded. If you have ungrounded outlets, this is something that should be repaired as soon as possible. The National Electrical Code requires that all electrical receptacles be grounded to prevent shocks and electrocutions.
3. Prevents Damage to Appliances
GFCI outlets are one of the safest and most cost-effective ways to upgrade your home’s electrical system. They can prevent electrical fires, electric shocks, and other dangerous situations by monitoring the current that flows through the outlet and tripping power if it detects a problem.
The GFCI circuits in the outlet monitor the flow of electricity from hot to neutral and, when it detects a mismatch or imbalance, it trips the breaker or cuts off the line. The GFCI can respond as fast as one-thirtieth of a second, making it an excellent safety feature that can help prevent electrocutions and even death.
It also helps prevent damage to appliances that are plugged into a GFCI outlet. If the electricity leaks from poor insulation, it could cause your expensive equipment to break down over time and a GFCI outlet will shut off the circuit to prevent any damages before they happen.
Another important benefit of GFCI outlets is that they can also prevent circuit overloads from occurring. These types of surges are caused by faulty wiring or connections, and they can be extremely dangerous.
For this reason, GFCI outlets are a good choice for your home if you have a lot of heavy-duty appliances that require a lot of electrical current to operate. They can even protect against lightning strikes, which can cause power surges that may spark fires.
Moreover, if you’re planning on renovating your home in the near future, installing GFCI outlets can help ensure your new design is up to code. This is because GFCI outlets are a requirement for modern homes under the National Electrical Code (NEC), so you’ll want to make sure they’re installed in all areas that handle water, like bathrooms and kitchens.
Fortunately, most modern homes have GFCI outlets that are designed to keep you and your family safe from any type of electrical issue. They can be easily installed in the most common places in your home, including kitchens and bathrooms. They can also be used in garages and unfinished basements to replace old, non-grounded outlets.
4. Prevents Damage to Wiring
GFCI outlets are a great way to prevent damage to wiring in your home. The outlets will trip and cut the power if they detect any ground faults, or electricity that tries to run through an unintended path.
These types of outlets are often found in places where moisture is a common threat, including bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, garages, and outdoors on patios or porches. The National Electrical Code requires all of these locations to be equipped with GFCIs to ensure safety.
They can also help prevent electrical fires and shock hazards in your home. Over time, the wiring and insulation of your home can deteriorate, which can cause surges in electricity that can spark fires. By using GFCI outlets, you can lower your chances of a fire occurring by up to 80%.
GFCIs are also designed to be water-resistant, which means they can withstand moisture from showers, baths, and even dishwashers. They are also insulated, which is important for preventing damage from water-based chemicals that can corrode wires.
You should never plug anything into a non-GFCI outlet. This could result in a deadly electrocution, so it is important to always use GFCI outlets.
In the United States, around 800 people die each year from electrocutions due to ground faults, and GFCI outlets have saved more than 200 lives each year [sources: Nickel Electric, Fish]. Because of these fatal accidents, it’s extremely important to install GFCI outlets in every location where they are required by the National Electrical Code, especially those that come into contact with water, like bathroom sinks and near a laundry or water heater.
For this reason, the National Electrical Code calls for all new homes to be built with GFCI outlets, and it is important that you replace any non-grounded outlets in your home that are not protected by a GFCI.
You should also test the outlets in your home regularly to ensure they are working as they should. You can do this by pressing the reset button, and then plugging in a device to see if it works properly. If it does, you can turn on your power again.
