GFCI

Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is a type of circuit breaker which shuts off electric power when it senses an imbalance between the outgoing and incoming current. The main purpose is to protect people from an electric shock caused when some of the current travels through a person’s body due to an electrical fault such as a short circuit, insulation failure, or equipment malfunction. Standard circuit breakers shut off power when the current is too high, like 10, 15, or 20 amps, but a mere 0.03a0 amps through a body can cause paralysis of skeletal muscles and stop the human heart. The GFCI breaks the circuit when it detects an imbalance of only 0.005 amps (0.030 amps in Australia and some European / Asian countries.)

A circuit breaker protects the house wires and receptacles from overheating and possible fire. A GFCI protects people and is often found in bathrooms or kitchens where electrical devices are used and people may be in flesh contact with the floor or metal fixtures which provide an alternate path for current to travel in the case of an electrical fault.

A GFCI can also prevent fires from short circuits and other electrical faults that don’t involve humans such as a low current short where the current never reaches the trigger point for a circuit breaker.