Electrical Circuits

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Circuit Interrupters

Ground-fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCIs)

Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) should always be used in outdoor receptacles or outlets as well as in kitchens, bathrooms, and anywhere else near water. A GFCI is designed to guard people and pets from severe and sometimes fatal electrical shock. A GFCI detects ground faults and interrupts the flow of electric current. For example, a hair dryer that is accidentally knocked off of a bathroom counter and into a bathtub filled with water. The GFCI will stop the flow of electricity - within milliseconds - of the hair dryer hitting the surface of the water. If someone was in the bath tub, a painful shock may still be felt but the GFCI will prevent their electrocution or serious injury.

How to Test a GFCI

GFCI should be tested monthly to ensure the device is working properly. GFCIs that are newly installed should also be tested immediately to ensure the receptacle is working properly. Here are the proper steps to perform a GFCI test:

• Plug a light into the GFCI protected outlet. Normally they are found in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Turn the light on and check the light bulb is lit.
• Push the TEST button on the GFCI. The RESET button should pop out and the light bulb should go out.
• Push the RESET button to restore power to the outlet.
• If all the steps worked correctly, the GFCI protected outlet is functioning and no further action is needed.

If the RESET button does not pop out, the GFCI is defective and should be replaced. If the RESET button pops out but the light does not go out, the GFCI has been improperly wired. Contact a licensed electrician to correct the wiring errors.

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