Does Your Home have GFCIs?

September 15, 2008
If your home was built after the mid to late 19970s, chances are that it will have GFCIs. GFCIs are not character flaws but are in fact lifesavers. GFCI stands for ground-fault circuit interrupter. Electrical codes throughout the country now require the use of GFCI outlets adjacent to any sink in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or similar area; also for garages and exterior outlets; and in other specific areas such as around whirlpool bathtubs. Local building departments can give you a complete list of where a GFCI outlet needs to be installed.
When you purchase a home and hire a professional home inspector, one of the items that will be checked will be the presence of GFCI outlets and whether or not they are functioning. The inspector uses a circuit tester which plugs into the outlet. When you press the "test" button, the light on the circuit tester should go out.. When the "reset" button is pressed, the light on the tester should come back on. A simple way for a home owner to test the GFCI outlet is to plug in a radio or lamp. If they go off when the "test" button is pressed, the outlet is performing its safety function.
If your home was built prior to the 1970s and you do not have updated electrical outlets, this is a safety factor that is well worth considering.