What Are GFCI Outlets & Where Are They Usually Located?

The outlets are very dangerous especially when they are located in wet locations so to protect from any severe injury the GFCI outlets are designed. This article will guide you in detail about what are GFCI outlets, where they are located, and why it’s important to have GFCI outlets.

Key takeaways:

A GFCI outlets is used in the wet area which will prevent any risk of getting shocked or damage to any appliances. The common places where the GFCI outlets is located are:

Bathroom.
Kitchen
Unfinished basement.
Outdoor locations.

To know in detail about GFCI outlets working and the places you need to have you need to read the below-mentioned information.

What are GFCI outlets?

The GFCI outlets are designed in a way that is able to detect any imbalance or interrupt the current in the electrical system and will shut the power off to protect and prevent any damage to the appliances or any risk of getting shocked. Mainly the GFCI outlets will provide protection from the shock when an unfortunate situation comes such as when the outlets come in contact with water which can be harmful to any person.

Before learning where the GFCI is usually located you need to know about the ground fault which is explained below.

Ground fault:

The conducting connection between the conductor of electricity and something which is grounded or can be grounded with the passage of time is called a ground fault. When electricity is passing through a conductor it wants to find a path to the ground and if there is any ground fault it becomes easy to pass through something from which it should not pass such as a human being. In any case when water gets into a plugged which is very dangerous but a GFCI used will automatically shut off that outlet and prevent it from causing any ground fault and getting shocks.

The area usually GFCI outlets are located:

The following are some areas where you should have the GFCI outlets or usually the area where the GFCI outlets is located:

Home Exterior:

According to the national electrical code the exterior outlets not only should have GFCIs but they need to have watertight covers so that the outlets are protected while using them or even though it is not in use.

Bathroom:

There should be GFCIs in all the outlets of the bathroom such as the outlets near the sink, on walls, etc.

Garage:

You need to have GFCI outlets in the garage because there are many people who keep their water heaters in the garage. Also sometimes the electrical equipment which is used in the garden is plugged into the garage outlets.

Kitchen:

There is no need to have GFCI outlets in all the outlets of the kitchen but it is compulsory to have GFCI outlets within six feet of the area where the sink is or on the serve countertop.

Laundry room sinks:

It is required to have GFCI outlets within six feet of a sink or near the washing machine.

Water heater:

Again having a GFCI outlet within 6 feet of the water heater is required.

One basement outlet:

You can locate the GFCI outlets if you can have an unfinished basement as it is required to have at least one GFCI.

The crawl space:

There is a risk of having a crawl space with no GFCI outlets so you need to install a GFCI outlet there in case it gets in contact with moisture there.

Radiant floor heating systems:

It is required to have a GFCI outlet in floor heating systems as you can use a GFCI circuit breaker by using a thermostat having GFCI incorporated into it.

Importance of GFCI outlets:

The following are some points explaining the importance of the GFCI outlets:

This outlet is designed to protect people from getting an electric shock and it also reduces the possibility of house fires which are caused by any electrical problem.
It is used to monitor the flow of electricity throughout the circuit. if the outlet senses a problem for example if a person touches an energized part of the circuit the outlet will trip off and will save the person’s life.
There are two small buttons labeled in the GFCI outlet such as test and reset which can be used for regular testing of the outlet by pushing the test button and test button to check if the outlet is working properly or not.
There are many places in which only one GFCI outlet is installed at an outlet location that is able to protect the other outlet on the same circuit.

Conclusion:

Hence we can conclude that is very important to have a GFCI outlets in your circuit as there are many benefits of having a GFCI outlet in your home and where it is important to have a GFCI outlet is mentioned above.

FAQ’s

When to test GFCIs?

You need to check a GFCI outlet monthly to checking is it working properly or not.

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Rick Costa

Hi, My Name is Rick Costa and I welcome you to my Blog, HousElectric.
Talking about the Website, I was Very Fond of Electronics from a very small age and my love for it grew as time passed. I then Opted for Electronics as a subject in the College along with Research on my own.
I then decided to share my Gathered Knowledge with you guys, So that it can help you too for Making Decisions and Solving Problems.