What is a ground fault interrupting receptacle?
What is a ground fault interrupting receptacle?
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Outlets are special electrical receptacles that have built-in mechanisms to cut power if the outlet senses an electrical imbalance or surge, such as one that would happen if a person was getting electrocuted.
How does a ground fault receptacle work?
A GFCI outlet contains a sensor that monitors the flow of the electrical current through the wires, and when it senses a ground fault (in electrical terms, “fault” means any variation from the normal current), the GFCI, which also contains an internal switch, shuts off the flow of electricity in the outlet.
Where are GFCI receptacles 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.
Where should GFCI outlets be installed?
ALL THE AREAS WHERE YOU SHOULD HAVE GFCI OUTLETS
- Your home’s exterior. Exterior outlets are located on the outside of your home.
- Your bathroom. This doesn’t just apply to outlets by the sink.
- Your garage.
- Key areas in the kitchen.
- Near laundry room sinks.
- Near your water heater.
- One basement outlet.
- The crawl space.
What does line and load mean on a GFCI?
There are two types of wires attached to the receptacle. The “line” wires are the incoming power from the breaker box and the “load” wires are the outgoing power that travels down the circuit to the next outlet.
What is the difference between a GFCI outlet and a regular outlet?
Any electrical outlet that is located in an area of the house containing a water source (i.e. bathrooms, kitchen counters, etc.) is required to be outfitted with GFCI technology. A GFCI outlet contains sensors that continuously monitor the surge of electricity within the wiring.
Where should a ground-fault circuit interrupter be installed?
GFCI outlets should be installed in any potentially wet or damp areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, outdoors, basements, garages and workshops. Damp areas can make you prone to dangerous electric shock but using a GFCI outlet can greatly reduce your risk of injury.
Do I need GFCI on every outlet?
Do all of the outlets in my kitchen need to have ground-fault circuit interrupters? In kitchens, all outlets that serve countertop surfaces should be equipped with GFCI outlet protection. That would include any outlets on walls, behind wet areas (sinks, etc.)
Should a refrigerator be plugged into a GFCI outlet?
Residential Kitchen In a dwelling unit (residential), GFCI protection is only required for kitchen receptacles that serve the countertop surfaces. There’s no requirement to GFCI protect receptacles that serve a refrigerator. Unless the fridge is plugged into a countertop receptacle.
How do you know which is line and which is load?
The line side of an outlet is where you connect the incoming source power. The load side is where the power leaves the device (or electrical box) and travels down the circuit.