Take This Electrical Shock Test

By theadmin

There’s a special type of outlet — typically with two buttons on its face and test and reset buttons — that saves countless lives each year.

Most often found in your bathrooms, kitchen, and outdoor areas, these ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets protect the people in your home from electrical shock due to contact with water.

How much do you know about these small devices that keep you and your family safe? Put your knowledge to the test with this game of true or false:

1. GFCI outlets are surge protectors.

False. GFCIs and AFCIs, or arc-fault circuit interrupters, don’t protect against power surges and can be damaged by them. A whole-home, professionally installed surge protector can protect them.

2. GFCIs can prevent electrical fires.

False, but the confusion is understandable. AFCIs, which have been required in new-home construction since 2008, prevent wiring fires. In Texas, outlets not protected by GFCIs must be on a combination-type AFCI circuit to prevent dangerous series and parallel wire arcs.

3. GFCIs need replacing after a lightning strike and when they no longer reset properly.

True. A damaged GFCI device may provide power without shock protection, creating a dangerous situation. To check yours, you can plug a lamp into the outlet and hit the test button. Replace the outlet if the light stays on. If it turns off, the outlet is working, but be sure to hit the reset button to restore it.

4. If your home was built before GFCIs or AFCIs were standard, you should have them installed.

True. About 200 deaths each year (two-thirds of all home electrocutions) in the U.S. could be prevented by GFCI installation. The U.S. Fire Administration says about 485 Americans die and 70,000 homes are damaged each year due to home electrical fires, which AFCIs can help prevent.

5. GFCIs and AFCIs are too expensive to be practical.

False. Individual GFCI and AFCI receptacle prices start from around $12 to $20. That can add up fast if you’re replacing several outlets, but it’s a bargain compared to the potential costs and losses from a house fire or electrical injury.

When you’re ready to install or replace GFCI and AFCI outlets or circuit breakers in your home, the NFPA recommends hiring a licensed electrician.

Do you know your home’s fire risks? Learn more here about the heating hazards in your home.