If power is cut, your smart in-floor heating thermostat will detect the change immediately, turn off your in-floor heating (if your GFCI doesn't do it automatically), and send you an alert via your smartphone or smart assistant. If it detects a problem, a GFCI will stop power from flowing to that particular outlet within 20-30 milliseconds to protect you from electrical shock. GFCIs monitor the electrical current passing from one slit to the other. GFCIs are most commonly built right into your electrical outlets, but they can also be installed at the distribution panel to protect every circuit in your home. If you do, great! You already have GFCI outlets! If not, you may not be protected from the dangers of electrocution. Do you see two buttons on it labeled “test” and “reset”?. Now take a moment and look at the outlet closest to you. Outlets you use to plug in your phone charger, lamp, appliances, and other electrical devices have two slits, and sometimes a third hole centered below called “ground.” Electricity is passed from one slit (the hot side), through your plugged in device, and into the second slit (the neutral side). The National Electric Code (NEC) technically defines a GFCI as, “A device intended for the protection of personnel that functions to de-energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit.” How Does a GFCI Work?Ī GFCI is a safety device built right into modern electrical outlets and distribution panels to protect you and your loved ones from potential electrocution caused by the many devices you plug in. Installed GFCIs will protect you, your family, your possessions, and your home from the dangers of electrocution, which could be carried from one room to another in the event of a leak or an electrical failure. This means you have electricity running under your feet throughout your entire home. While that might sound like a mouthful to those of us who aren't electrical engineers, it boils down to this: A GFCI is a failsafe device built into your electrical outlet or distribution panel to protect you and your family from electrocution.Ī GFCI is incredibly important to homes with in-floor heating systems, which warm your home with a series of electrical wires that run beneath your flooring. If there was ever doubt in your mind that one person has the power to make a difference, consider that Dalziel's invention of the GFCI has saved an estimated 23,200 lives to date! What is a GFCI and Why Should I Care? His invention of the GFCI has been an incredible lifesaver, saving an estimated 400 lives annually. Thankfully, Charles Dalziel, a professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley, dedicated his time outside the classroom to learning more about the effects of electricity on the human body. In fact, an average of 800 people died every year in the United States alone, just from the electrical shock of plugging something into a faulty outlet. Before its invention in 1961, death by electrocution was an all too real risk. GFCIs Save LivesĪ Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, or GFCI, is an incredibly beneficial addition to an electrical outlet. However, a responsible homeowner is one that is both well-equipped and informed! After all, GFCIs were created with the sole purpose of keeping you and your family safe. Most homeowners hire a professional to install their radiant floor heating system and never give it a second thought. If you're not familiar with GFCIs, you're not alone. In-floor (radiant floor) heating is an excellent option to comfortably and sustainably keep your home warm.
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