What is a GFCI?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 10:59AM Whatever you call it, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, GFCI or GFI, it could save your life. You may have seen them, those funny looking outlets with the "Test" and "Reset" buttons on them. They are there for a reason. The National Electrical Code requires them to protect against electrical shock. You can find them in wet locations, such as, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and outdoors.
How do they work? They work like a circuit breaker, only faster. A circuit breaker will usually trip when you recieve a shock, but it may not act fast enough to protect you from harm. A GFCI outlet is more sensitive and acts faster than a circuit breaker or fuse and is thus an important safety feature.
To protect you and your family, make sure you have GFCI's installed at proper locations in your house. For peace of mind consult a licenced electrician with all your electrical concerns.
Mahalo,
ED