GFCI's WHY AND WHERE? Wait until the End

Where do you need to install a GFCI or a Ground Fault protected outlet. The Code is simple. And most communities will flag the outlet in bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms if they are not Ground Fault outlets. When does this matter? If you are selling the property the Real Estate home inspection will definitely flag this issue. If you have city inspections on a rental property the same is true. Also, for you own protection and compliance with current code you should go ahead and change them out. You can do it yourself if you are careful, turn the breaker off in your service panel to the outlets being changed, and do the proper research. Make sure you have the correct tools as well. NUMBER 1 issue if doing it yourself. SAFETY. Turn the breaker off to the effected circuits and test the outlets out to make sure they are off.

Thanks for watching. And we will see you next time.

Transcript:

GFCIs - Why and Where? Wait Until the End.

Hey, this is Dennis Cole with Home Rehab Pros. I hope you're doing well, and I hope everyone in your family is as well. Have you ever considered upgrading your electrical system in your house? Maybe it's an older home or perhaps you only have three-prong outlets at your sinks and bathrooms when they should really be ground fault protectors or GFCIs.

Alright, let's take a closer look to see what I mean and identify where in this home we need to install new ones. Let's watch.

So here we are in the kitchen, and you can see a couple of switches over here. We've got a three-prong outlet here, and if you look closely, there's a small button on the top. If I push it and it was ground fault protected, it would interrupt the circuit. However, there's no interruption happening, so this outlet isn't protected. We need to change that to comply with the code. Let's take a walk to other areas of the house to see where else we need to make these upgrades.

Now we're in the main bathroom. We've already removed some items, and here's the outlet. Testing it again, it's grounded, but there's no ground fault protection. Same story in the second bathroom.

Now, let's head down to the utility room in the basement. Here's the utility sink, and if we plug something into this three-prong outlet, it's grounded. However, there's no ground fault protection.

So, why is this important? Why do we need to install GFCIs in these locations? Well, the code mandates that outlets near water sources, like sinks, should have GFCIs. For example, the outlet in the utility room, which is less than six feet away from the water source, needs a GFCI. We're going to make this area code compliant.

You can change an outlet to a GFCI safely, and we have a separate video that demonstrates how to do that. If you're doing this at home, remember to get a 20-amp GFCI for the utility room and 15-amp GFCIs for other locations.

Now, you might ask, why do we need a GFCI? Well, it's because they're more sensitive than regular circuit breakers. They protect against electrical currents that are too low to trip regular breakers but are enough to cause injury. GFCIs can prevent electrical shocks and fires, providing an extra layer of safety.

So, there you have it – a bit of education on the importance of GFCIs and how you can install them yourself. Check out the linked video for step-by-step guidance on changing a regular outlet to a GFCI. Stay safe, turn off the power, and make sure you have the right equipment. You've got this. I know you can do it.

Thanks for tuning in. I'm Dennis with Home Rehab Pros. We appreciate you watching, and we'll catch you in the next video.