T Slot Gfci Receptacle
Every year, hundreds of Americans die due to electrical accidents called electrocution – death caused by electric shock. Sometimes electrocution happens in utility and construction incidents, but these tragic accidents happen in homes, too. Before the widespread adoption of GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets, around 800 people died annually in the United States. Now, thanks largely to the proliferation of GFCI technologies, particularly in areas near water, such as bathroom sinks or in places exposed to rain or standing water, that number has dropped to around 200 deaths per year [sources: Nickel Electric, Fish, at al.].
Product Title Faith 15A GFCI Outlets, Slim, GFI Receptacles, Ivory. Average rating: 4 out of 5 stars, based on 1 reviews 1 ratings Current Price $26.46 $ 26. 46 - $104.99 $ 104. Benefits are derived from well implemented Solutions. The challenge to save energy, improve safety or make sure everything continues to perform in a harsh environment, are all candidates for good solutions.
In short, GFCI outlets exist to protect people from electrical shock — it is completely different from a house fuse. The idea behind a fuse is to protect a structure from an electrical fire. If the hot wire were to accidentally touch the neutral wire for some reason (say, because a mouse chews through the insulation, or someone drives a nail through the wire while hanging a picture, or the vacuum cleaner sucks up an outlet cord and cuts it), an incredible amount of current will flow through the circuit and start heating it up like one of the coils in a toaster. The fuse heats up faster than the wire and burns out before the wire can start a fire. Catastrophe averted.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Unlike a home's fuse, the GFCI is integrated in the outlet itself. When you plug in an appliance, such as a hair dryer, the GFCI outlet monitors the amount of power going to the device. If you accidentally drop the appliance into sink full of water, the GFCI detects the interruption in current and cuts the power ... and possibly saves your life.
So how do you know if you're looking at an outlet equipped with GFCI capabilities? You'll see a Test and a Reset button (and perhaps an indicator light) built right into the outlet.
When you view a normal 120-volt outlet in the United States, there are two vertical slots and then a round hole centered below them. The left slot is slightly larger than the right. The left slot is called 'neutral,' the right slot is called 'hot' and the hole below them is called 'ground.' If an appliance is working properly, all electricity that the appliance uses will flow from hot to neutral. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. The GFCI senses a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second. That's a key specification, because at around 10 milliamps, human muscles 'freeze' from electrical overload, meaning that you're unable to let go of an object that's causing a shock; just two seconds at that level of current can cause death [source: ELCOSH].
Advertisement
If you've ever experienced even a second of paralysis caused by electrical shock, it's not a feeling you'll ever forget. In short, you were part of what's called a ground fault.
A ground fault is an instance in which the hot wire touches any area of a grounded device or even the grounded part of a junction box. It can happen in situations when wiring insulation is damaged, perhaps to the mischievous teeth of rodents, or even due to wiring age, or, very commonly, environmental conditions [source: Littelfuse].
Advertisement
Advertisement
Moisture and dampness are two of the biggest causes of ground faults, and the consequences can be life-altering. For example, let's say you are outside with your power drill and it is raining. You are standing on the ground, and since the drill is wet there is a path from the hot wire inside the drill through you to the ground. If electricity flows from hot to ground through you, the result is a ground fault, and it could be fatal. The GFCI can sense the current flowing through you because not all of the current is flowing from hot to neutral as it expects -- some of it is flowing through you to the ground. As soon as the GFCI senses this 'leakage' of power, it trips the circuit and cuts off the electricity.
On a final note, understand that GFCI outlets always eventually wear out, so you should test them about once per month [source: McGarry and Madsen]. To test the outlet, press the Reset button, and then plug in a simple night light or other electrical device. The device should turn on. Then press the Test button. If the GFCI is working, the power will immediately be cut. Press Reset again, and your device should turn on again. If so, the outlet is working as it should.
If the light doesn't turn off when you press Test, you have a problem. The GFCI might be improperly installed or malfunctioning, and it won't protect you from shocks. You'll need to replace it or call a professional electrician for help.
You might get about 10 years of use from GFCIs. Realize that older units may fail 'closed,' meaning they'll still conduct electricity, obviously a dangerous situation that defeats the whole purpose of CFGIs. Fortunately, newer styles fail 'open,' meaning they'll no longer work, but they won't be a health hazard, either. Either way, test these devices regularly and you'll have extra peace of mind in the family bathroom and beyond.
Originally Published: Apr 1, 2000
Advertisement
Related Articles
More Great Links
Sources
- Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health. 'Electrical Safety: Safety & Health for Electrical Trades.' January 2002. (April 19, 2018) http://www.elcosh.org/document/1624/888/d000543/section2.html
- Fish, Raymond and Geddes, Leslie. 'Conduction of Electrical Current to and through the Human Body: A Review.' NCBI. Oct. 12, 2009. (April 19, 2018) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763825/
- Littelfuse. 'What is a Ground Fault?' (April 19, 2018) http://m.littelfuse.com/products/protection-relays-and-controls/protection-relays/protection-relay-pages/ground-fault-protection.aspx
- McGarry and Madsen Home Inspection. 'What is the Average Life Expectancy of a GFCI Receptacle?' (April 19, 2018)
- Nickel Electric. 'Electrical Safety Statistics.' May 27, 2015. (April 19, 2018) http://www.nickleelectrical.com/safety/electrical-safety-statistics
Is a refrigerator receptacle outlet required to be GFCI-protected?
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Although the National Electrical Code (NEC) does not require that a receptacle outlet serving a refrigerator must be GFCI-protected, it specifies certain areas where any receptacle—including for a refrigerator—must be GFCI:
1) Within 6 feet of the edge of any sink - For example, if the refrigerator receptacle is within 6 feet of the kitchen sink, even if it is a dedicated circuit, it must be GFCI. But this applies if a refrigerator happens to be within 6 feet of any sink, anywhere in the house.
2) In a garage, bathroom or laundry - Because all receptacle outlets in these rooms must be GFCI-protected.
The “6 feet from the edge of any sink” requirement started with the 2014 edition of the NEC. Previously, only receptacles within 6 feet of a laundry, utility, or wet bar sink were required to be GFCI.
As the NEC has updated with a new edition every three years, the locations required have been expanded or tweaked with almost every cycle since then. For a complete listing of each currently required location for GFCI-protection and when it was instituted, see our blog post When were GFCI receptacle outlets first required?
But, while the year that the NEC added a new location requirement is easy to define, each local juridiction’s building codes don’t necessarily adopt the latest edition of the NEC immediately. The state of Florida, for example, did not make the 2011 NEC effective until mid-2015. Other jurisdictions have sometimes waited even longer to adopt a newer NEC edition and, to complicate things further, they might make amendments that exclude parts of the newest requirements. So the year when the NEC first required GFCI-protection for a new receptacle location can be several years before your local building department adopted that edition of the code and began enforcing it.
One last note: GFCI-protection can be provided by a GFCI receptacle (one receptacle will protect others downstream in the circuit, which should be marked as GFCI protected), a GFCI circuit breaker in the electric panel, or a GFCI dead front (often used for indoor spa tubs, essentially a GFCI receptacle without the slots to plug in a cord, usually located in bathroom or next to electric panel).
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about AFCI and GFCI RECEPTACLES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS:
•Does a septic pump or sump pump require a GFCI-receptacle?
T Slot Gfci Receptacle Wiring
•What is the difference between what trips a GFCI (ground fault) receptacle and a circuit breaker?
•Are Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) really necessary and worth the trouble?
•What is the code requirement for GFCI protection for receptacles near a wet bar sink?
•When was GFCI-protection for kitchen dishwasher receptacle outlet first required?
•When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?
•Does a washing machine receptacle outlet require GFCI protection?
•My spa tub stopped working. What's wrong?
•How do I identify a combination AFCI (CAFCI) circuit breaker?
•What does 'listed and labeled' mean for an electrical component?
•What electrical hazards does a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) NOT protect against?
•What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers?
•Where are GFCI receptacle outlets required?
•When were GFCI receptacle outlets first required?
•What happens when you press the 'TEST' button on a circuit breaker in an electric panel?
•What is the difference between the electric service to a mobile home and a site built home?
•Why is there a wall switch next to the furnace or indoor unit of the air conditioner in the garage?
•What is a Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI)?
•How I can tell if a receptacle outlet is tamper resistant?
T Slot Gfci Receptacle Tester
•What is the difference between a Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (CAFCI) and an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) circuit breaker?
•What is the difference between 'grounded' and 'grounding' electrical conductors?
•What does it mean when a wire is 'overstripped' at a circuit breaker?
•Why is there a GFCI breaker in the electric panel for the bathroom shower light and exhaust fan?
•What is the switch on the wall with two pushbuttons?
•How far apart should kitchen counter receptacles be spaced?
•How far above a kitchen countertop do electrical outlets have to be?
•How is it possible to provide both GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) and CAFCI (Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) protection for kitchen and laundry circuits?
•My bathroom electric receptacle/outlet is dead and there are no tripped breakers in the electric panel. What's wrong?
•My GFCI reset button is hard to push and won't reset. What's wrong?
•Why do some breakers in my electric panel have a 'TEST' button on them?
Visit ourAFCI AND GFCIpage for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to theINDEXfor a complete listing of all our articles.
How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manfuactured and modular homes
Click Below
for Links
to Collections
of Blog Posts
by Subject
Top 5 results given instantly.
Click on magnifying glass
for all search results.