Electricity, water, and food are some basic requirements of humans but when it comes to running electricity in our homes to need to be sure of electrical safety and not take it for granted. As any leniency will injure you by getting electrical shocks and to save from these possibility interrupter are designed which provides electrical safety precautions. this article will guide you about GFCI vs regular outlets.
GFCI Outlet:
When we talk about the ground fault circuit interrupter their main purpose is to stop electrical shocks. the GFCI outlets are able to detect the current which is traveling through the alternate path. the meaning of ground fault is when a current unintentionally is diverted off and circuit interrupter means to stop the flow of diverted current.
The working of the GFCI outlet is to detect the traveling of the current in the wrong duration and in a fraction of a second shut down the electricity on that circuit. the working does not vary with the number of current means even when the imbalance of the current is small amps the GFCI outlet will be able to detect it and stop the electricity flow so that it does give a shock to a human being. the GFCI outlet is also called as GFI outlet.
Regular outlet:
The regular or standard outlet is considered to be the outlet which is 15 amp. It is common to see a three-pronged outlet in every house that contains two vertical slots, a ground pin is located in the middle of the vertical slot. there are many outlets of different amperage which looks similar to the regular outlet but they are designed differently. for example, a 20 amp outlet looks similar to a 15 amp outlet but a 20 amp outlet contains a horizontal slot connecting to one vertical slot and forms a T shape.
GFCI vs regular outlet:
The following are some points explaining the difference in GFCI vs regular outlet:
- The appearance of the outlet:
- Location of the outlet:
The appearance of the outlet:
The appearance is an easy way to recognize the outlet such as:
- If comparing GFCI vs regular outlets the regular outlet is smaller in size.
- The GFCI outlet does contain a testing button on it but the regular outlet does not have buttons.
- The main function of the buttons on the GFCI outlet is to test the outlet function but pressing the button which is marked as TEST and if there is any snapping sound this means that the out is tripped and there is no current flowing through the plugs. after completing the test of the outlet you need to press the RESET button which will make the power flow through the plug connections.
Location of the outlet:
As per their quality and performance, the location of the GFCI outlet and regular outlet is meant to be different.
GFCI outlet:
- According to the national electrical code, the GFCI outlets should be in the wet location of the homes such as the wet bar sinks, utility sinks, garages, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and outdoor areas which there high possibility of containing moisture in the receptacle.
- This upgradation of having GFCI outlet come into the following year:
- In 1975 the GFCI outlet was required to have bathrooms.
- In 1987 the GFCI outlet is required to have in the kitchen.
Regular outlet:
The location of the regular outlet is the area where there is no presence of water or moisture such as:
- Bedrooms.
- Offices.
- Living rooms.
Types of GFCI vs regular outlet:
Types of Regular Outlets:
The outlet which is referred to as be standard or regular outlet is a 15 amp outlet that can be seen in an older home where there is no electricity upgradation. their outlet does have two types:
- Two-pronged outlets
- Three-pronged version
Two-pronged outlets:
The version of the outlet contains two long connection slots which provide an ungrounded connection.
Three-pronged version:
This version of the outlet has a ground pin. it also contains an extra vertical slot which does help to prevent any electric shock because of the loose wiring connections of the outlet.
Types of GFCI outlet:
The following are three types of GFCI outlet which do perform differently depending on the requirements of appliances:
- GFCI Outlet
- Portable GFCI
- GFCI Circuit Breaker
GFCI Outlet:
Also known as a GFI outlet having not had much difference and works as a standard electrical outlet. you need to properly install the outlet. having a GFCI outlet does reduce many serve injuries.
Portable GFCI:
These types of outlets are meant for convenient transport.
GFCI Circuit Breaker:
There are a lot of people who get confused between the GFCI receptacle and GFCI circuit breaker as the receptacle is used with an existing outlet and the circuit breaker helps the entire circuit of the living space which is cause dues to overloading and ground faults.
Conclusion:
The outlets have their own specification and usage so you should use the outlet according to it. After reading the article GFCI vs Regular Outlet you will easily learn what is the difference between them and where to use them.
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.
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