Where are GFCI located?

GFCI outlets have been around since the 1970s and are typically found anywhere around the home that is a damp environment. Commonly they are located (or should be) at bathrooms, kitchen countertops, laundry areas, unfinished basements, crawl spaces, garages and at exterior outlets.

Where should a ground fault circuit interrupter be installed?

The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires GFCI outlets in all wet or damp locations. For your home to be up to code, working GFCI outlets must be installed in your bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms.

Where are ground fault circuits required?

The NEC mandates GFCI protection in many areas of the home: bathrooms, garages, outdoor receptacles, crawl spaces, basements, kitchens and anything within six feet of a sink or water source. While that may seem like a lot, the entirety of a home is not covered.

Can a GFCI be anywhere in a circuit?

You can replace almost any electrical outlet with a GFCI outlet. Correctly wired GFCIs will also protect other outlets on the same circuit. The electrical code also requires GFCIs in unfinished basements, garages, most outdoor receptacles and places where construction activity occurs.

How does the ground fault circuit interrupter work?

Ever since introducing the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI outlet) in 1973, deaths from electrical shock have reduced by 83%. The GFCI outlet or residual current drive (RCD) is a fast-acting circuit breaker that shuts off power once it senses a ground-fault. The receptacle works by comparing the input and output current from electrical …

What is the UL standard for ground fault interrupters?

UL Standard No. 943 covers ground fault circuit interrupters. Class “A” GFCI devices are the most common. Trip when current to ground is 6 milliamperes (6/1000 of an ampere) or greater.

What do you need to know about ground fault protection?

Ground fault protection is integrated into GFCI receptacles and GFCI circuit breakers for installation into your electrical system, especially for circuit outlets in particularly vulnerable areas such as where electrical equipment is near water.

When does a GFCI interrupter need to be used?

National Electrical Code requires GFCI devices intended to protect people to interrupt the circuit if the leakage current exceeds a range of 4-6 mA of current (the trip setting is typically 5 mA). GFCI devices which protect equipment (not people) are allowed to trip as high as 30 mA of current.

What do you call a ground fault circuit interrupter?

A ground fault circuit interrupter, called a GFCI or GFI, is an inexpensive electrical device that can either be installed in your electrical system or built into a power cord to protect you from severe electrical shocks.

When did NEC start requiring ground fault interrupters?

Since 1971, the NEC has expanded the requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) to protect anyone who plugs into an electrical system.

How does the GFCI protect against ground fault?

The GFCI will not protect you from line contact hazards (i.e. a person holding two “hot” wires, a hot and a neutral wire in each hand, or contacting an overhead power line). However, it protects against the most common form of electrical shock hazard, the ground-fault.

Where are GFCI receptacles required in a circuit breaker?

A GFCI is typically a receptacle with small buttons on it that usually say “Test” and “Reset”. It can also be built into a circuit breaker that is installed in an electric panel. Home inspectors test the operation of GFCI’s as part of their evaluation.