Well this blog is gonna be a quick one. I just happened to come across a nice video to help you understand what GFCI protection is and how the receptacles work. GFCI protection is required for all Countertop/Workspaces, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Garages, Unfinished Basements and outdoors for all Livable dwellings.
During my numerous years of training, I attended an OSHA training session in the late 90’s and had an instructor there who was pushing for greater GFCI protection at the time, and also helping to redesign GFCI’s to trip faster. The reason these devices are needed is because a breaker or fuse in your main Panel is only designed to protect equipment. When the breaker trips it actually holds that current for a few seconds before tripping, it is short enough to prevent a fire or damage to the panel and breaker but it IS still long enough to kill you. By having GFCI protection available, you life or that of a family member may be saved.
One last thing, which the video does not cover, recently GFCI’s have been redesigned and the new design changes how the receptacle or breaker will test itself. In the old days, these devices would test and trip at the same time, then you could reset it and be back in operation. However, this method did not fully test the circuit correctly and it was found out over time that the receptacle may still be bad. The change now allows you to first trip the receptacle and then as you hit the reset button, it will test the circuit as power is restored.
Please enjoy the short video demonstration and remember to call Innovative Electric Inc to replace or install new GFCI receptacles and circuits as you come up with new projects for your home