One minor comment in a recent property inspection was that one of the GFI 0units wasn't working. I thought, "No big deal...an inexpensive fix." But I just received this information on GFI's from Insight Home Inspection.
You know them - they are those electrical outlets in the bathroom and the kitchen with the little red button in the middle of them that say "Test" and a black one for "Reset". Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are the formal name. We usually call them GFCI's or GFI's. These little guys are designed to shut power off if there is a very small leak of electricity (a ground fault) which ordinary outlets wouldn't notice. Normal outlets are shut off by a breaker or fuse if more than 15 amps flows. GFI's can detect a leak as small as .005 amp and respond by shutting off the circuit. This can prevent electrocutions, burns, shock injuries and house fires.
GFCI protection was required in new construction in the 1970's. There are three types: outlets, breakers and portable units. Outlets are easily installed by electricians, handymen, or a good do it yourselfer.
Breakers should be installed by Licensed Electricians. The outlet type are relatively inexpensive ($15-$20) so upgrading older homes is a good idea. They should be installed in all outlets that are near water such as the kitchen, bathroom, bar area, outdoor outlets, garages and in crawl spaces.
Testing of GFCI's should happen monthly. Simply plug in a lamp or hair dryer to the outlet and hit the test button. The appliance should turn off and the Reset button should pop out. If either of these don't happen, you may have a faulty outlet or bad wiring. Hitting the Reset button will reconnect the outlet.
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