New power outlet question
I'd like to install a new power outlet to use primarily for my toaster oven. The only circuit that I can tie in to is the circuit that the water heater plugs in to. Are other outlets typically tied ...
Forum Discussion
LVJJJ wrote:
always thought GFCI outlets were overkill, the breaker in the box will trip if there is a short. Somebody is making lots of money off of that one. (Now I'm going to get it from the code talkers, but most of the houses I've lived in never had GFCI, I'm still here bugging people)
GFCIs are different than breakers in that they trip when they sense current flowing to ground along an unintended path, such as through a human. They are not there to protect against a short, which is what a breaker does.
If an appliance is working properly, all electricity that the appliance uses will flow from hot to neutral. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.
"I'm still alive so safety measures are unnecessary" is not a strong argument.
