How GFCI Outlets Keep You Safe
Arc Angel Electric has experience installing and replacing GFCI Outlets. GFCI outlets are very important for the safety of your home and family. A ground fault happens whenever electricity escapes the confines of the wiring in an appliance, light fixture, or power tool and takes a shortcut to the ground. When that shortcut is through a human, the results can be deadly. About 200 people in the U.S. alone die of ground faults each year, accounting for two-thirds of all electrocutions occurring in homes.
GFCIs are required by the National Electric Code (NEC) in all new kitchens, bathrooms, unfinished basements, crawl spaces, and most outdoor receptacles. If you own an older home, you should retrofit GFCI receptacles at those locations or have GFCI breaker switches mounted in the main breaker panel.
The great thing about GFCIs is that they protect you whether or not your wiring is grounded. Lightning and other power surges can damage a GFCIs delicate circuitry at any time, so we recommend you perform the following test on a monthly basis: Plug in a light fixture and turn it on. Then push the device’s test button. If the light stays on, the GFCI needs to be replaced.
