Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters have been around for many years…but they are often misunderstood.

As a Raleigh Home Inspection firm, a common defect that we observe during the performance of a Home Inspection is defective GFCI devices. GFCI is short for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. What we often find is that they are simply not properly functional or that they have been physically damaged in some way.

A GFCI device is typically a receptacle mounted in a wall box…or a breaker mounted in a primary distribution sub-panel or at a main service panel…and both have integral test and re-set buttons.

GFCI Receptacle - Installed

GFCI devices help protect people in the event that people, water, and electricity might happen to get together for a party all at the same time….not really an ideal combination. They function as safety devices by sensing an increase in the flow of electric current as little as 5 milliamps (five one thousandth of an Amp)…and shutting off the power at that location or at all locations downstream of the device. To provide an example for reference, as little as 1 amp can be fatal depending on voltage and other conditions. You can think of the device as “shutting off” the power if it senses a “leak” of electricity…what we refer to as a ground fault.

GFCI Breaker - Installed In A Distribuiton Panel

Basically, the devices operate by comparing the amount of electricity going in on the black, or “hot” wire….and comparing that to the amount of electricity is leaving on the white…or “neutral” wire. If there is any significant difference, then the electricity is “leaking” somewhere. If the leak is the result of electricity coursing through your body…then the GFCI device may not have prevented you from being shocked but it likely prevented you from being electrocuted. Electricity is like allot of people….it will follow the path of least resistance…so if you come in contact with any of that “leaky” electricity and provide less resistance than the wires do….then it would rather follow your path than the intended path along the wiring. Put another way…the person may be a better route to ground for the electricity because they are less insulated.

In most areas, GFCI protection is required, generally, for bathroom outlets, for exterior outlets, at kitchen area outlets, and for whirlpool tub motor circuits. Other required locations might be at outlets near swimming pools. Very generally speaking, GFCI protection has been required for exterior receptacles since 1973, for bathroom receptacle since 1975, for garage receptacles since 1978, and at some kitchen receptacles since 1987.

We often get asked during a Home Inspection “Well you just told me that this receptacle is GFCI protected…but there isn’t any test button at that receptacle…Why is that?” And a good question it is. There are various methodologies and configurations to provide the intended protection…we could install a GFCI receptacle at every location where protection is required…but that wouldn’t be economically practical. Or we can install one GFCI receptacle to protect an entire circuit or series of receptacles. Or we could install a GFCI breaker at an electrical panel to provide the desired protection for an entire circuit. Whether GFCI receptacle or GFCI breakers are installed, it is recommended that the devices be manually tested every 30 days or so to ensure that they are properly responsive; this is accomplished by depressing the integral test button and then either re-setting the receptacle or returning the breaker to its “On” position.

Another question that is often posed by our Home Inspection clients is “Can I install GFCI’s in an older house?”. Usually, with regards to this discussion, an older home would be one that was initially wired using 2-conductor wiring…and where there is no third “ground” wire. The simple answer is yes you can although it likely will not be quite as safe or effective as a device installed on a 3-conductor circuit where there is a direct path to ground through the electrical panel. It is probably safe to say that a 2-conductor circuit protected by a GFCI device is likely more safe than one without any such protection.

If you have GFCI devices installed in your home, then go test them to make sure they working properly. If none are installed, then consider having them installed by a licensed electrician to enhance the safety of your home.