Ground Fault Protection

Many of you may be familiar with an electrical device that looks different than a conventional outlet, typically with two buttons, one marked test and the second one marked reset. (See Photo)

This safety device was invented by an electrical engineer from Berkley California named Charles Dalziel in the mid 1960's. At that time there were an average of over 1,000 accidental deaths from electrocution in the United States. This simple device addressed a major cause of accidents by monitoring electrical current and interrupting the power when unsafe conditions occurred, ie power leaking outside of the circuit and through human beings, thereby saving lives.

At first the construction industry and code regulators were skeptical of the concept but through testing and field studies is was shown that if "properly installed", this device actually did what it was designed for and had the potential to protect and save many lives.

Over time national and regional code authorities began to require GFCI's to be installed near residential water sources such as kitchen and bathroom sinks, and eventually any area that had potential water contact such as jetted tubs, garages, and exterior outlets.

These are not expensive devices, do not require special internal wiring , and are now a part of standard construction practices.   Be aware that if a outlet does not actually have a GFCI device it can be protected by adding one at the beginning of a multi-outlet circuit which will protect all receptacles "downstream"

Also be aware that just using the "test" button on the device does not guarantee function and can only be correctly assessed using specialized electronic testing equipment.

All of Advanced Home Inspections electrical evaluations include the use of this industry recommended testing protocol and our experience has found about 25% of GFCI's are improperly wired giving a false sense of security even if the "Test" button functions!    

This is why it is critical that you have a trained inspector using specialized equipment to protect yourself and your loved ones from potential accidents.