Do GFCIs (outlets with a test button, usually found in a bathroom and kitchen or near a sink) prevent electrical fires?
Another popular misconception! Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are not designed to detect heat or prevent fires. They are designed to detect electrical current leakage and prevent electrocution, so that when a person becomes the path for an electrical current, as opposed to its usual circuit path, the circuit will shut down. Thermal faults normally do not leak any current or cause electrocution, and therefore are not detected by GFCIs.
