When dealing with any sort of electrical issue, safety should always be paramount. People plug appliances and electronics into their electrical outlets every single day. It is a common thing in life. Believe it or not, but there is some danger involved if you are using a standard electrical outlet. There may be some stray sparks when something is plugged into the outlet. Even a simple stray spark can cause a burn or ignite something flammable. There is a way to protect yourself from sparks and shocks. GFCI outlets have been specifically designed to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
A GFCI outlet is there to protect people from receiving electric sparks. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. GFCI outlets do the same job as a circuit breaker or a fuse. A GFCI outlet watches the amount of energy that is transferring in the electrical outlet. If there is something off balance with the energy flow, either too much or too little, the GFCI trips the circuit. Using the GFCI outlet provides yet another line of defense.
Power strips do provide some protection against power surges, and the power strips have multiple sockets, but their size makes them impractical in certain situations. Having a power strip on a busy kitchen counter is an impractical affair. The strip will be knocked around or sprayed with water, which may cause the strip to spark and short out. A GFCI outlet provides the protection of a surge protector but does away with all the useless clutter.
`A normal electrical outlet has two sockets. A socket is comprised of two slots and a tiny hole below the slots. The right slot is the smaller of the two and represents the “Hot”. The left slot is larger and represents the “Neutral”. The tiny hole below them is the “Ground”. When the electrical outlet is working as it should, the power should flow from “Hot” to “Neutral”. A GFCI outlet works the same way. It monitors the flow of electricity from the “Hot” to the “Neutral”.If there is anything off, such as a power surge, the GFCI outlet trips the breaker automatically. The GFCI outlet can react quickly to any minuscule irregularity in the flow of electricity in as little as a few milliseconds.
GFCI outlets are a small way to protect yourself and your home. These outlets provide another layer of protection by acting as both a surge protector and an electric current monitor. Since the GFCI outlets work by moving the flow of electricity, any inconsistencies will trip the breaker. From power surges to liquid accidentally splashing against the outlet, GFCI outlets are a smart and inexpensive way to protect your home.