Have you ever wondered why there are 2 buttons on some of your wall-outlets, such as those in your bathroom or kitchen? These are GFCI outlets. GFCI stands for ground-fault circuit interrupter, and its purpose is to disconnect power when an unbalanced current is detected. This is to protect you from lethal shock.
Hundreds of people die annually from electrocution. In any area where water is present, electrical outlets can turn into a danger.
The technology behind GFCIs have been around for over 60 years, and the outlets themselves for almost 40. They have undergone much improvement to minimize the risk, but also to make it less likely that they have false trips, which can be a nuisance.
You can test the operation of your GFCI outlet by plugging a lamp into the outlet and making sure that it functions correctly. With the lamp lit, hit the test button. When you do this, the reset button should pop out and the lamp should turn off. If the lamp doesn’t go out, or if the reset button doesn’t pop out you should have an electrician look at it as soon as possible.
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