If your home, office, or commercial facility was constructed after 1970, it came equipped with ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacles. These GFCIs are located in your kitchen, bathroom, garage, or any place where water and electricity are in close proximity.
GFCIs are designed to protect people from electrical shock. They are probably the most significant life-saving devices ever invented. GFCIs work by monitoring the flow of electricity through the electrical outlet. If the flow of electricity starts to spike, theGFCI cuts the power at the receptacle. An example would be dropping a hairdryer into a bowl of water.
In 2002 manufacturers of GFCIs were told by the National Electrical Code (NEC) to design and manufacture a new generation of the GFCI. The NEC wanted a GFCI receptacle that would increase its safety protection by becoming inoperative if there was a failure.
The NEC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules require GFCIs to be installed in accordance with manufacturer’s standards and tested monthly. The manufacturer-recommended testing method is to first press the “test” button to ensure the device trips and breaks the circuit, then push the “reset” button to reactivate the device.
Unfortunately, if your GFCI was manufactured before 2002 it may be giving you a false sense of safety. Early GFCIs continue to operate even if their safety mechanism to cut the flow of electricity is broken. This problem is why the NEC asked for the redesign. The GFCI safety mechanism can be damaged from repeated surges, power spiking, and lightning strikes to the electrical system.
In my inspection and testing of GFCI circuit breakers and receptacles, I have found the manufacturer’s recommended method is not a foolproof test. This method often identifies defective devices as okay. The most reliable GFCI tester is the Leviton Polarity Tester (cat. # 6185).
As of January 2, 2003 the manufacturers of GFCI devices could only produce a GFCI device that become inoperative when damaged or tested. If the new device has a fault and has tripped, it cannot be reset until the fault has been cleared.
If you are purchasing a GFCI device, make sure you are purchasing the new style GFCI. Manufacturers are allowed to sell all their remaining stock while converting their manufacturing process. To ensure that you are buying a newer model GFCI, check for a lightning bolt on the packaging. All of the upgraded GFCIs have the lightning bolt, none of the outdated ones do. n
Mike Murphy is a master OSHA instructor and works with the Electrical Industry’s National Joint Apprenticeship and Training
committee to instruct safety classes to journeyman and apprentice electricians nationwide. The number for the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center is 503-262-9991 and its website is www.nietc.org/. The NECA-IBEW 48 website is www.necaibew48.com.
