GFCI Outlets

ORANGE COUNTY ELECTRICIAN

orange county electrician gfci

A GFCI is a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

It is also often called a Residual Current Device. The purpose of a GFCI is to shut a particular electrical circuit off if a current is detected flowing through a path that it wasn’t intended to. A couple of these unintended paths could include a person, or a puddle of
water. The main purpose of it is to significantly lower the chance of someone getting an electrical shock. When in doubt, contact your local Orange County Electrician for guidance.

How A GFCI Works

A GFCI works by constantly taking measurements of of the amount of current that’s leaving what’s known as the “Hot Side” of the source of the power, and then making a comparison to the level of current that is being returned to the neutral side. Both sides are supposed to be equal. If they aren’t, then at least a part of the electrical current is going along a path it wasn’t intended to. The GFCI will then shut down the power. Once the issue has been resolved, the GFCI is ready to be reset. It is reset manually by pressing in a button labelled “Reset”. A GFCI outlet can also be routinely tested. This is done by pressing the “Test” button. This verifies that the Circuit Interrupter is working properly. A GFCI outlet should at least be tested once a month. There are quite a few areas where a GFCI is mandatory:

  • Basements that are unfinished
  • Bathrooms
  • Garages
  • Kitchens
  • Near sinks
  • Outside
gfci orange county electrician

Types of GCCI’s

When it comes to an installation that is permanent, there are 2 kinds of GFCI’s. The circuit breaker kind that is installed in the panel, and the kind that is installed directly in a regular Electrical Box. There are also GFCI’s that are attached directly to power cords, such as a curling iron. The main purpose of a GFCI is for protection from an electrical shock; however, they also help prevent fires. Specifically, they can help preven ta fire that can start due to a metal conduit being touched with a live wire.The older types of outlets that only have 2 prongs are not grounded. Your trusted Orange County Electrician can upgrade these to a grounded, 3 pronged outlet. We have vast experience upgrading to GFCI’s; there is no need to install additional new wiring. Although there are adapters that can turn a 2 prong outlet into a 3 pronged one, these are not recommended. there’s no guarantee that the appliance will actually be grounded. there are typically multiple labels that come with a GFCI that will state “No Equipment is Grounded”. This has to be put not only on GFCI outlets, but all of the outlets that are downstream as well. This is because the ground screw isn’t connected, since there isn’t a ground wire. Please contact your reputable Electrician in Orange County. We can be reached anytime at (714) 459-5005

OC Electrician 885 South Euclid Street Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 459-5005