Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Gfci Definition

A ground fault circuit interrupter gfci or residual current device rcd is a type of circuit breaker which shuts off electric power when it senses an imbalance between the outgoing and incoming current.

Ground fault circuit interrupter gfci definition.

When a ground fault occurs the gfci quickly in a fraction of a second shuts off the power. Their circuitry monitors electrical input. Gfci s could also reduce electrocutions and minimize electrical burns and shock injuries. 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.

It works by comparing the amount of current going to and returning from equipment along the circuit conductors. A ground fault circuit interrupter gfci is the only protection device designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system. The ground fault circuit interrupter or gfci is a fast acting circuit breaker designed to shut off electric power in the event of a ground fault within as little as 1 40 of a second. There is a class a gfci that trips when a ground fault current exceeds 5 milliamps and there is a class b gfci that trips when a ground fault current.

Injury may still occur in some cases for example if a human falls after receiving a shock or if the person touches both conductors at the same time which an rcd won t. Now thanks largely to the proliferation of gfci technologies particularly in areas near water such as bathroom sinks or in places exposed to rain or standing water that number has dropped to around 200. Because of this we need to understand what a gfci is how it works and what its limitations are. A gfci or ground fault circuit interrupter is a safety device intended to prevent electrical shock by detecting an improper flow of electrical current and shutting the electrical circuit off very quickly in milliseconds.

Ground fault circuit interrupters gfcis or gfis are safety devices built into outlets that protect against electrical shock. A residual current device rcd residual current circuit breaker rccb or ground fault circuit interrupter gfci is a device that quickly breaks an electrical circuit to prevent serious harm from an ongoing electric shock. We need only to look to the nec for the definition of a gfci. Let s end the confusion with the definition and description of ground fault and ground fault circuit interrupters gfi gfci.

A ground fault circuit interrupter is an electrical device installed to protect against severe electric shocks.