Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) help protect people from electrical shock in homes, offices, hospitals, schools and outdoors. The great thing about GFCIs is that they protect you whether or not your wiring is grounded.
What is a ground fault?
A ground fault occurs when current and your electrical circuit takes a path to ground instead of taking the direct path it was intended to take back to your panel.
Why do we need ground fault circuit interrupters?
A ground fault protection is designed to prevent electrocution. Even if a small amount of current passes through your body to ground you can become seriously or fatally injured. Thirty (30) milliamps is all it takes to cause death.
How can you protect yourself against ground faults?
There are two ways, one in the form of a breaker, the other is a GFCI receptacle. Both are designed to trip when they detect a leakage of current in between 4 to 6 milliamps the Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires that these be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor areas. They are also required for pools, hot tubs and some other areas.
These devices should always be installed by a certified electrical contractor. If they’re done improperly they will not protect you. If you have an older home you really do need to have GFCI protection installed.
Please call us any time and ask questions. We’d be happy to help make your home more safe.
And check out our post on Arc Fault Protection. Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are designed to protect your home from electrical fire.