Gfi Electrical Term

Short for ground fault circuit interrupter a gfi also known as gfci is a type of electrical outlet designed to protect you and your family against electrical shock fire and or fatal electrocution.

Gfi electrical term.

A gfci ground fault circuit interrupter outlet is a device that adds a greater level of safety by reducing the risk of electric shock. The term ground fault is very common but understanding exactly what it means requires that you know a little bit about the principles of electricity. It works by comparing the input current on the hot side to the output current on the neutral side. A gfi or gfci ground fault circuit interrupter device protects us from receiving electric shocks from faults in the electrical devices we use in our home.

Because of this we need to understand what a gfci is how it works and what its limitations are. Most building codes now require that a gfci outlet be used in wet locations such as bathrooms kitchens laundry rooms and outdoors. Ground fault circuit interrupters gfci a device intended for the protection of personnel that functions to de energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit. A gfci is only as good as its installation and inspection.

So wires from a switch or gfi might be load wires with respect to that switch but line wires with respect to another switch downstream from it. Your gfci outlet receptacle monitors the flow of current.