May
2004
Plug
Into Electrical Safety
Did
you know that three people die every day in the home from electrical-related
incidences? Many of these are related to problems with outlets,
power cords and extension cords.
About
330 electrocutions occur in the home each year. According to the
Electrical Safety Foundation International, a ground fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI) could prevent almost 70 percent of the accidents.
That's preventing 231 electrocutions every year!
You
may or may not already have GFCIs in your home. And if you do, there's
a chance you've forgotten its value for you and your family's protection.
GFCIs
should be located in bathrooms and kitchens or anywhere a water
source can potentially come in contact with an electrical device.
The National Electrical Code now requires new homes to install GFCIs
at all outdoor, bathroom, garage wall and kitchen receptacles. This
also includes receptacles in crawl spaces and unfinished basements.
These
devices are designed to prevent serious injury or even death from
electrical shock. GFCIs monitor the amount of current flowing in
the circuit.
When
a GFCI senses the slightest current leakage to ground in an electrical
circuit, it will interrupt the power in time to prevent serious
injury from electrical shock. The GFCI simply trips the circuit.
A
GFCI will protect you in case you were to drop your blow dryer in
a sink full of water. Or when your electric knife's cord slides
into your sink full of wet dishes.
In
both instances, a ground fault would occur causing the reset button
on the GFCI to pop out. After the fault is eliminated, press the
reset button to reset the circuit.
Testing
your GFCI receptacle is similar. Press the test button, followed
by the reset button to reset the circuit. If the reset button pops
out immediately after pressing the test button, then your GFCI is
working properly. If not, you should contact a certified electrician.
GFCI
receptacles should be tested monthly to ensure proper functioning.
Always be prepared; you never know when an accident might occur.
You
can purchase GFCIs at hardware and home improvement stores. GFCIs
come in three different types: wall receptacle, circuit breaker
and portable.
A
wall receptacle GFCI takes place of your standard receptacle, while
the circuit breaker GFCI is located in your panel box to protect
selected circuits. Portable GFCIs come in two types. The first type
plugs directly into your receptacle for an electrical device to
plug into, and the second type is an extension cord combined with
a GFCI.
Protect
you and your family against electrocutions. Install GFCIs and remember
to test them monthly. Thirty seconds to test your receptacles could
save a life.
Read
other articles in this month's Realite:
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