THE AMAZING GFCI
A hundred years after Edison invented the lightbulb, people got tired of being electrocuted and began phasing GFCI devices into common usage.
How they work
A GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter, interrupts the flow of electricity when the current to ground has a value in the range of 4 milliamps to 6 milliamps--when there is an anomaly in the current, and the possibility of shock occurs. Such variations occur in the event of a short.
In 1968, the National Electrical Code began demanding GFCI’s for underwater pool lighting. This was followed by requiring them for outdoor receptacles and those near pools in 1971, and finally, in 1075, they moved indoors to bathroom receptacles and construction sites.
Gradually, garage receptacles, those for hot tubs, motel bathrooms, basements, and more were added to the national code. These devices have been refined, upgraded, and put into common usage in areas where people may be in danger of shock. The result was that hundreds of electrocutions were prevented every year.
Other details
The electrical outlet has the GFCI built right into it, indicated by two small buttons labeled test and reset. One of the primary purposes of GFCI is preventing a person from being a conduit for electricity. This is a circuit breaker, which kicks in when it detects that electrical current isn’t flowing the way it must be. An electrical outlet has hot, neutral, and ground wiring. If you plug something into an outlet, the electricity will flow from hot to neutral. If an electrical flow doesn’t follow the path as it should, GFCI will detect the issue and will cut off the power quickly. It cuts off very quickly, allowing you to avoid any possible danger of being shocked.
Periodic testing
Testing is necessary to make sure older GFCI’s are still working. These older units have test and reset buttons. However, Underwriter’s Laboratory (U.L.) began requiring GFCi’s manufacturers to produce self-testing GFCI’s in 2015. A loss of protection will trip the device or an indicator on the device to show it is no longer functioning.
While self-testing devices are now the only units being manufactured, no requirement exists to either phase out or restrict the use of those which still require testing. After all, they’ve already saved thousands of lives, so it’s evident that they are working. The self-test feature is just a more convenient device.\
If you’d like for us to install or replace the GFCI outlets in your home, give us a call. We’re happy to install the self-testing or the manual testing variety anywhere you’d like to have a safer outlet.
Kennedy Electric is a reliable full-service electrical company serving residential and commercial customers in Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco Counties. We offer electrical repairs, boat lift wiring, remodels, low voltage lighting, generator hookups, RV power, electrical inspections, fan installation, home lighting, new circuits, panels, and more. Call today at 352-251-2795.
