GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT

A ground fault occurs when the hot wire

carrying a current comes into contact with
a ground wire; with a grounded portion of a
junction box; or with a grounded part of an
appliance or device. Similar to a short
circuit, large amounts of current are forced
to flow through the fuse or circuit breaker,
causing the fuse to blow or the circuit
breaker to trip.
 Ground Fault Causes
* Water leaking into an electrical box can
cause a ground fault since water is a
conductor of electricity.

* A ground-fault current interrupter (GFCI) is

a standard outlet required by electrical code
and is designed to shut off the current when
there is a ground fault. A faulty GFCI that
does not shut off may allow current to keep
flowing and thus cause a ground fault.
* Worn hot wires or hot wires that are not
completely seated into their terminals may
come into contact with ground wires or
grounding devices or boxes.
 Dangers of Ground Faults

The main threat of ground faults is electric

shock. Electric currents running through
conductive materials can also cause fires
and burns.
 Identifying Ground Faults

Ground faults can occur within appliances

or your home’s electrical system itself.
The best way to identify the cause and
location of your fault is through simple
troubleshooting. Fortunately, investigating
a ground fault doesn’t require working
with live wires.
Here’s a quick how-to:
* Locate the problem.
Many homes are equipped with ground
fault circuit interrupters or GFCI outlets.
These outlets detect ground faults and
shut off power to the affected circuit. Some
models alert homeowners with a light or by
tripping a reset switch on the outlet. Look
for these alerts to locate the ground fault.
If your home doesn’t have GFCI-equipped
outlets, look at your breaker box. Tripped
breakers will be in the off position. It’s
important to note that ground faults don’t
always trip breakers. If your electrical issue
is overloading breakers, you could be
dealing with a short or too many appliances
running on the same circuit. Call a pro If
you suspect a ground fault and don’t have
GFCI outlets. Older outlets don’t stop the
grounded current and can cause shocks.
* Disconnect your appliances.
Unplug your appliances from the outlet and
reset the breaker or GFCI.
* Plug in your appliances.

Plug each item back into the outlet until it

trips. This will determine which appliance
is causing the ground fault. If nothing trips
your outlet, or if your outlet doesn’t reset,
your ground fault is likely located in
another part of your home. Call a
professional to look. Faults can occur due
to other outlets leaking current, problems
with exterior circuits, and other faulty
appliances.
Preventing Ground Fault Shocks

Installing a GFCI outlet is a simple and

affordable way to eliminate the risk of
ground fault-related shocks. Also,
including GFCIs in your home will help
you keep your property up to code. Many
ordinances require GFCIs if you have an
outlet within three feet of a water source or
in your garage.
 WHAT IS GFCI OR
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT
INTERRUPTER?
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 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 0.030 amps through a
body can cause paralysis of skeletal
muscles and stop the human heart. The
GFCI / RCD breaks the circuit when it
detects an imbalance of only 0.005 amps
GFCI receptacle with
red button for Test and
black button for Reset.
THANK YOU