Install GFCI’s – For decades, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) have saved thousands of lives and have helped significantly reduce the number of home electrocutions by about fifty percent. Every year hundreds of American die due to electrical accidents, caused by electric shock. The GFCI was designed to help prevent these accidents.
GFCI outlets exist to protect people from electrical shock. It is different from a house fuse. The idea of the fuse in a house was designed to protect the structure from an electrical fire. If a hot wire were to accidentally touch the neutral wire for some reason 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. A catastrophe is averted.
The GFCI is somewhat similar, but the GFCI is integrated into 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 s sink full of water, the GFCI detects the interruption in the current and cuts the power, and this could save your life.
You may ask, how do I know if I have GFCI outlets. When looking at your outlets you will see a Test and a Reset Button, and perhaps a indicator light built into the outlet. Most times you will see only one GFCI outlet per room.
GFCI outlets can go bad or wear out. So you should test them about once a month. 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 you have bad GFCI’s or need new GFCI’s Installed, please give us a call as soon as possible.
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