As a Houston, TX, homeowner, it’s important to understand the basics of how your home’s electrical infrastructure works. However, if you’re not an electrician by trade, it’s easy to get confused by the various electrical terminology you’ll encounter. One of the terms we often see homeowners misunderstand is GFCI. It refers to a specific type of protective technology that safeguards outlets and circuits. Here is everything you need to know about GFCI, including what it does and where you need it.
What Is GFCI?
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. It’s a type of circuit breaker that quickly detects abnormal grounding conditions and cuts power to the circuit. That’s a situation that the National Electrical Code calls a ground fault. Under normal circumstances, electrical current travels in a loop across the conductors of an outlet. That path gets altered, of course, when you plug in an electrical device. However, a ground fault indicates that the current has found a path that doesn’t loop back to your electrical panel. Often, that path is through the metal surface of an appliance or your body if you’re unlucky.
How Does GFCI Protection Work?
GFCI protection is quite simple in practice. The circuitry in a GFCI outlet or circuit breaker is little more than a voltage meter. It monitors the flow of voltage through the circuit, comparing the incoming and outgoing voltage in real-time. Any significant difference between the two values will trigger a circuit interrupter. Most GFCI systems can detect voltage differences as small as four or five milliamps. They also feature circuit interrupter reaction times as short as one-tenth of a second.
Types of GFCI Protection Hardware
In general, you’ll find GFCI protection built into three different device types. Two are commonly found in residential settings, and the third is not. The following are the three GFCI device types.
GFCI Outlets
The most common type of GFCI device you’ll find in residential settings is a GFCI outlet. They contain the required protective circuitry built right in. GFCI outlets also have buttons on their face, allowing you to test their functionality and reset them.
There are two ways to use a GFCI outlet. You can install one to protect only a single location or to extend its protection to downstream outlets. This is possible because GFCI outlets have line and load terminals. To use a single GFCI outlet to protect multiple outlets, you’d attach the incoming hot wires using the line terminals. Then, you’d send power to all subsequent outlets via the GFCI outlet’s load terminals. Technically speaking, there is no limit to the number of outlets you can protect with a single GFCI. However, electricians rarely attach more than eight outlets per 15-amp circuit or ten outlets on a 20-amp circuit.
GFCI Circuit Breakers
Another type of GFCI device you’ll find in residential settings is a GFCI circuit breaker. They get installed in your home’s main electrical panel or a sub-panel. They look just like conventional circuit breakers, except that they contain protective GFCI circuitry. They will also have a test button on their face, along with the typical breaker switch. GFCI circuit breakers offer an easy way to extend GFCI protection to entire circuits in your home.
Portable GFCI Plugs and Extension Cords
Finally, there are also plugs and extension cords with GFCI protection built in. You won’t find these in the average home, however. They’re used frequently at construction sites or in other locations where GFCI outlets aren’t yet installed. You may also see them used in outdoor settings, protecting electric lawnmowers, trimmers, and other tools.
Where to Use GFCI
Modern electrical codes call for GFCI protection in a variety of places inside and outside of homes. Upgrading existing homes, however, isn’t mandatory. Generally speaking, the National Electrical Code calls for GFCI protection anywhere you have an outlet in close proximity to water. This includes the outlets in your bathrooms, kitchen, and garage. It also calls for GFCI outlets near washing machines, sinks, and wet bars. They are also required for any outlets present on the exterior of your home.
If you own an older home, you may also use GFCI outlets to protect ungrounded circuits. So, if your home has old, two-prong outlets, you could replace them with GFCI outlets. Doing this makes such outlets safer and can prevent shocks. While it won’t obviate the need for rewiring your home to add grounding, it can be a temporary safety solution.
How Often to Test GFCI Outlets and Circuit Breakers
If you have GFCI outlets or circuit breakers in your home, it’s important to test them frequently. This ensures that the GFCI protection functions and will work when you need it. It is recommended to test all of your GFCI outlets and circuit breakers once per month. To do this, simply plug a device into the outlet you’re testing and press the test button on its face. If the protection works, you should hear a snapping sound and there should be no power reaching your device. Afterward, you should press the outlet’s reset button to restore it to normal operation.
When it comes to GFCI circuit breakers, all you need to do is press the test button on the breaker’s face. If the protection works, you should see the breaker switch flip to the off position. To restore the circuit to normal operation, just flip the switch back to the on position.
It’s worth pointing out that there are self-testing GFCI outlets, too. Such outlets have an LED indicator on the face of the outlet, along with the test and reset buttons. Most models will light their LED green when the outlet is working normally. If there’s no light from the LED, it means that the GFCI protection is engaged. In that case, you can push the reset button to reactivate the outlet. If the LED glows red, this means that the self-test has failed. This is an indication that the outlet needs replacement.
Your Trusted Local Electrician
If you’d like to add GFCI protection to your Houston home, Mackey Services can help. We’ve provided quality electrical services to local homeowners since 1992. Our team of experienced electricians can install GFCI outlets wherever you want or need them. They can also upgrade your home’s circuit breakers to include GFCI protection if you wish. We also offer complete HVAC installation, repair, surge protection, and maintenance services, as well as landscaping. We even have an in-house sheet metal fabrication shop, so we can make custom ductwork if you require it. We’re even Better Business Bureau accredited with an A+ rating. So, you can expect excellent workmanship and customer service from us at all times. To prove it, just look at our long list of positive reviews from satisfied local homeowners. So, if you need GFCI protection installed in your Houston home, contact the experts at Mackey Services today!
