You may think your Sandy Springs home is very safe, but if you don’t have ground fault breakers installed in your home in the right places, you could be at risk. There’s good news, though. Ground fault breakers (GFB) — also called a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or a ground fault interrupter (GFI) — are a low-cost way to prevent electrical hazards, shock and electrocution. They’re a must in your home, and they need to be installed in the right locations. Call a professional electrician to assess your home, make recommendations and install the right safety devices.
Home Electricity
The basic electrical systems installed in your home provides convenience and ease. Today, electricity runs part of almost every aspect of our homes. However, there are some inherent risks to using electricity, such as electrical burns, severe shock and electrocution. In response to these risks and to minimize their danger, innovators created ground fault circuit breakers, or interrupters, to protect humans from shock.
A Ground Fault
As electricity moves into outlets or light switches, there is a continuous supply of live energy running through the electrical lines and between the grounded surface and the source of power. Ground faults, or surges of this live energy, happen when equipment is defective or has been damaged in some way. As a result, the normal protective measures that prevent shock, or access to this energy, are gone. Humans can unintentionally come into contact with the electricity. When humans make contact with the energy, they become a grounded surface for the electrical current to run through, and the result is either electrical burn, shock or — at worst — electrocution.
Preventing Problems
Ground fault breakers act as a preventive measure to manage the current of electricity flowing through the breakers and circuits. When the breaker senses a rise in the current, it very quickly interrupts the current and prevents a lethal amount of electricity from moving out of the lines. GFIs can be installed at the receptacles throughout your home where shock is likely to occur. The National Electrical Code (NEC) outlines the primary locations where GFIs should be installed for maximum protection:
- In garages
- In bathrooms
- In kitchens
- In laundry rooms
- Near utility sinks
- In unfinished basements
- In pools with underwater lighting
- In receptacles to which you plug in outdoor equipment such as a hedge trimmer or mower
- In receptacles to which you plug in power tools such as a circular saw or drill
You can install a GFI outlet at any other place in your home that you feel would benefit from extra electrical safety measures.
Avoid putting your household’s safety needlessly at risk, and don’t forgo electrical safety. Instead, hire a professional electrician to identify areas in your home where ground fault breakers are needed and safely install the protective devices. You’ll have invested in a low-cost safety measure that will put you and your family at ease.
Call Reliable Heating & Air for all your home plumbing, electrical, home performance and HVAC needs. We also offer indoor air quality services, such as duct cleaning, air cleaner installation and dehumidifier/humidifier products.
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