Gfi Electrical Term

The term ground fault is very common but understanding exactly what it means requires that you know a little bit about the principles of electricity.

Gfi electrical term.

A gfci ground fault circuit interrupter outlet is a device that adds a greater level of safety by reducing the risk of electric shock. It works by comparing the input current on the hot side to the output current on the neutral side. Short for ground fault circuit interrupter a gfi also known as gfci is a type of electrical outlet designed to protect you and your family against electrical shock fire and or fatal electrocution. Ground fault circuit interrupters gfci a device intended for the protection of personnel that functions to de energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit.

Most building codes now require that a gfci outlet be used in wet locations such as bathrooms kitchens laundry rooms and outdoors. A gfci is only as good as its installation and inspection. A ground fault circuit interrupter gfci is the only protection device designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system. Another use of the term load is to refer to the energy user s along the circuit s path such as a light or appliance.

So wires from a switch or gfi might be load wires with respect to that switch but line wires with respect to another switch downstream from it. Electricity is a form of energy that exists due to unbalanced charges in electrons and protons in a conducting material.