You may wonder – what’s the big deal about a bad GFCI outlet? To put things simply, these exist to help protect you from suffering an electrical shock. According to the electrical code, these outlets are located in your home where there’s an increased risk of electrocution. This includes the kitchen, bathroom, outside, and any other location where water is found.
How Does the GFCI Outlet Work?
A GFCI outlet comes with a sensor that’s designed to identify any changes in the current, which may be an indication of unsafe conditions and the risk of a shock. There is a breaker located inside the outlet, which will trip if there is a surge in current. When this happens, the power supply to the outlet shuts down along with any outlets connected to the circuit, which provides protection from electrical shocks.
A GFCI outlet has two buttons on it – typically one red and one black – with one designed to test the outlet and one to reset it after the breaker inside has tripped. A GFCI outlet that is bad is a serious issue and should not be ignored for too long. As a result, it’s important to remain aware of when there’s an issue with one of yours.
The Issue of Inconvenient Trips
Usually, the GFCI outlet provides protection by not providing any power. If there’s a problem with an appliance that’s plugged into it, the power would cut off before you have the opportunity to use it. If this happens, you may think there’s an issue with the outlet.
However, in some situations, the breaker is tripped for a good reason. A GFCI is also designed to shut off if a person gets shocked, with isn’t an easy task. This means the GFCI outlet breaker may trip if you aren’t really in danger.
Your GFCI outlet can detect current that branches off from the intended circuit, even if the branches are harmless and small. This includes situations of a wire contacting another component in the receptacle, which is usually innocent. If the cause of a trip is a one-off, passing occurrence, it should be possible for you to reset the outlet breaker by pushing the proper button.
The Issue of Wear and Tear
Over time and with ongoing use, an outlet can get worn out, losing some of its effectiveness. This is something that also applies to your GFCI. If you notice your GFCI outlet(s) is tripping more often than usual, it may mean it is time to replace it. That’s because the outlet is no longer able to adjust to current changes effectively like they used to. This causes the tripping to occur for reasons that were never an issue in the past.
Where Should GFCI Outlets be Installed?
GFCI protection should go within six feet of a water source. This always includes outlets in your kitchen, bathrooms, unfinished basements, and garages. They also have important applications for heated floor systems, along with many exterior purposes.
Fortunately, there aren’t any hard limits on the number of GFCI devices, provided someone installs them properly. You can put them anywhere to offer reliable ground-fault protection. Just make sure you let a licensed electrician do the job because it’s common for homeowners to put them in backward, thus rendering them ineffective.
Important Do’s and Don’t for GFCI Installation
Finally, don’t forget to follow these dos and don’ts for GFCI installation.
- Don’t: Open or tamper with electrical outlets if you don’t know what you’re doing. Electricians have to go through years of education and apprenticeship for a reason. It’s because you can easily make a mistake and incur serious injuries.
- Do: Get a licensed and trained professional to do a full safety inspection and point out the weak spots around your home. An electrician can also show you how to test your outlets with minimal effort.
- Don’t: Assume you can change or repair outlets just because you saw a tutorial online. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is not “do it yourself” work.
- Do: Test your outlets frequently. We believe you can get much more shelf life out of your electrical devices if you treat them like a car. That means checking them often and having professionals inspecting things periodically.
Testing a GFCI Outlet
The test button on a GFCI outlet doesn’t tell you that there is something wrong. When you press this button, the power will shut off as always. As a result, the only way for you to check and see if an older GFCI outlet is working properly is to use a circuit tester that is equipped with a GFCI test button.
Call Fusion Electric to Install New GFCI Outlets in Your Home
We hope this entices you to add GFCI protection to your home. Chances are unless you’re in an older house, you already have some, but if you aren’t sure, we can perform an inspection and make recommendations. Again, this is a high-priority task if you don’t have GFCIs around your kitchen or bathroom.
Fusion electric also helps Kansas City clients with larger projects like panel upgrades, wire installation, toner plate service, and much more. We’re the ones you should call if you want to make your home’s electrical systems safer, energy efficient, and more reliable.
Contact Fusion Electric to learn all about GFCI outlets, and to request installation service anytime.
