Have An Electrician Install GFCI Outlets In Your Bathroom
Posted on: 19 November 2020
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If you are going to redo your bathroom, there are a lot of things that you might need to fix, especially if you have an older house. A remodel is a great opportunity to redo the outlets you have in your bathroom. You should make sure that you have GFCI outlets in your bathroom. You should also make sure that you have a licensed electrician come in and do the work for you. What are GFCI outlets and why should you have them in your bathroom?
GFCI
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupt. These outlets act like a small circuit breaker that only handles the circuit that is created by that outlet. An electrical circuit needs a full closed circle so that the circuit will work. When you plug something into the outlet, you complete that circle, and whatever you plugged into the outlet has power. A GFCI outlet has a small button on it. When the button is in the depressed state, it is possible for the circuit to be completed. When the button pops up, then the circuit is broken, and no power runs through the circuit. So, what are the benefits of having GFCI outlets installed in your house?
Electrical Building Codes
In most places, the current electrical building codes require GFCI outlets in your bathroom, kitchen, or any place where the outlet may be exposed to moisture since water and electricity don't play together well. Water getting into an outlet can cause a short in that circuit and it can cause further problems with your entire electrical system. So, building codes require the outlets in certain places, and having an electrician change out your outlets or install GFCI outlets will make sure that your house is within code.
Quicker Response Times
Whenever a circuit gets overloaded, it will trigger the circuit breaker to shut off, breaking the circuit. Each circuit is rated to carry a certain amount of power before it overloads. The circuits are also larger than just one small circuit that makes up an outlet in your bathroom. Each larger circuit is also made up of smaller circuits. For example, one circuit in the circuit breaker may cover your entire front room. Within that larger circuit, there are several smaller circuits, for each outlet. So, if there is an overload in an outlet, that overload has to go through the smaller circuit, the larger circuit, and then to the circuit breaker. This is quick, but a GFCI is quicker, since it is rated for a smaller power load and it is an immediate and local circuit breaker, so it can turn off faster.
If you are going to do reno work in your house and part of the work includes electrical work, have an electrician install GFCI outlets. For more information about home electrician services, contact a local electric company.