If you tried to use a multimeter to measure the current (amps) on a receptacle you wouldn’t get anything useful because there will only be current present when there’s a load drawing current. You could do 20A if you wanted but it’s generally not necessary. When you do replace an outlet with a GFCI outlet make sure you connect the upstream wires to the LINE side and the downstream wires to the LOAD side otherwise there will be no protection.ġ5A and 20A outlets look different (your description is correct) but you can put a 15A outlet on a 20A circuit so long as the total load for that outlet doesn’t exceed 15A (so I wouldn’t, say, have a blender and microwave on the same outlet). Otherwise you can replace the circuit breaker with a GFCI breaker, but that may be beyond what you feel you’re comfortable doing. You’d have to figure out which outlet that is on an individual basis. If you have multiple outlets on the same circuit you’d only need to replace the first one (the closest to the breaker, in terms of where the wiring goes) to have GFCI protection for the rest of the circuit. Replacing a regular outlet with a GFCI outlet is simple. Or perhaps you'd like to explain why damn near every single dwelling in the US is wired with one GFCI protecting everything downstream instead of the way you suggest. Since the standard is a leakage current of 4-6 milliamps, I think every device on the circuit will be just fine. GFCIs detect an imbalance in current between the hot and the neutral, NOT objectionable fault current. While its traveling it has a chance to damage all the receptacles in the middle (and anything plugged into them) as well as all the cabling. So by your logic, to be safe we should install breakers/fuses at every device? That's nonsense. The fault current will travel through all the intermediate receptacles and wiring until it reaches the first one in the chain to trip the circuit off. they do make portable GFCI extension cords that are short that you can plug in first or have a QUALIFIED electrician change out the outlet if you don't fell comfortable doing it yourself and make sure the polarity is correct.Now I’d like someone to explain to me why it’s bad to use gfci at all the receptacles instead of just at the first one in the chain.īecause it's more expensive and totally unnecessary. And yes if you are using your smoker outside or in the garage it should be plugged into a GFCI outlet. They are a life safety device to prevent you getting shocked. Before they only had to be 6 feet from a water source on a counter top. They are now required in all outdoor, unfinished areas, garage, and all counter top area regardless of location. It doesn't care if that current is flowing back threw the ground wire or flowing back to ground threw your body and directly tot he earth. Now if that current measurement varies move that 30 mille amps it trips off. What a GFCI does is measure the amount of current flowing out to a device and flowing back in from a device. They are available in either breaker form or single outlet form. A GFCI will work if you have a grounded plug or not, and will even work on old 2 wire non grounded house wiring systems. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, everyone just started dropping the circuit to make is shorter to say. Smokebuzz sorry to correct you man but I just have to set the record straight on this one, and being an electrician for 14 years, a contractor for 9 and now a vocational instructor I think I'm qualified to answer this one.Ī GFCI or GFI are the same thing.
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