Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Gfci Definition

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.

Ground fault circuit interrupter gfci definition.

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. 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. 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. While both gfi and gfci refer to basically the same thing a device that breaks the current when ground interference is detected there is a slight difference.

We need only to look to the nec for the definition of a gfci. A ground fault circuit interrupter is an electrical device installed to protect against severe electric shocks. Gfci s could also reduce electrocutions and minimize electrical burns and shock injuries. It works by comparing the amount of current going to and returning from equipment along the circuit conductors.

Let s end the confusion with the definition and description of ground fault and ground fault circuit interrupters gfi gfci. 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. A ground fault circuit interrupter gfci is the only protection device designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system. 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.

The basic definition of a ground fault circuit interrupter gfci is a general use device whose function is to interrupt the electric circuit to a load within an established period of time. Ground fault circuit interrupters gfcis or gfis are safety devices built into outlets that protect against electrical shock. Before the widespread adoption of gfci ground fault circuit interrupter outlets around 800 people died annually in the united states. 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.

Because of this we need to understand what a gfci is how it works and what its limitations are.