What does the term GFCI protection mean?
Inspector Pickens By Michael Pickens GFCI stands for “ground fault circuit interrupter”—and that circuits that use these devices, whether circuit breaker or receptacle type, are considered ground fault protected. A good example of how CFCI works is in describing what happens when a hair dryer that is plugged into an occupied bathtub. This special device would shut off power to the circuit in about 1/40 of a second when as little as .005 amp difference is detected between the live and neutral wires. This action would prevent the person in the bathtub from being electrocuted. Under normal circumstances, the current flowing through a circuit is the same at any point. That is to say, if there are five amps flowing throiugh the black wire going out, there should be five amps flowing through the white wire. As long as the incoming current is the same as outgoing current, a GFCI immediately shuts off power to the load. There are locations within a house that GFCI protection is recommended on
