| By Greg Vanden Berge
In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical
outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI
electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI
electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.
Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical
outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and
is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this
type of outlet.
GFI ‘s come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI
outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire
size when hooking up the GFI outlet.
How do I know which size wire to use? This all
depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel.
There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running
the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can
use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule
of thumb for most electrical house wiring.
If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you
are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can
use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of
thumb for most electrical house wiring.
A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in
bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of
the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or
light load problems.
Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer
plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink
while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off
because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.
The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button
on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out
eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10
times break and no longer able to use them.
The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you
don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a
great idea to have an electrician install them for you.
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