GFCI outlets, what they do and the monthly test

A ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, shuts off the power fast enough to prevent an electrocution. It's the outlet with a test button and a reset button between the two sockets. A GFCI can fail without any sign, so test each one once a month.

What you need

• A lamp or nightlight that works
• The GFCI's instructions, if you have them

Steps

1. 1

   Find every GFCI

   Check beside the kitchen and bathroom sinks, in the garage and an unfinished basement, by a laundry tub or wet bar, and at every outdoor outlet.

   5 min

2. 2

   Plug in a lamp

   Plug the lamp into the outlet and turn it on. If the GFCI came with instructions, follow those instead.

   1 min

3. 3

   Press test

   Press the test button. The lamp should go out.

   1 min

4. 4

   Press reset

   Press the reset button. The lamp should come back on.

   1 min

5. 5

   Note any that fail

   If the lamp stayed on at test, or didn't come back at reset, the GFCI needs replacing. That's wiring work, so book an electrician.

   1 min

Water and electricity

Keep countertop appliances away from the sink, where they can be knocked in or splashed. If they can't be moved, plug them into a GFCI outlet. A portable heater in a bathroom is an electrocution risk, with all the water and grounded surfaces around it. If you use one there, plug it into a GFCI outlet or use a heater with a GFCI plug.

GFCI breakers in the panel

Some homes have GFCI protection in the breaker box instead of at the outlet. Test those monthly too. Push the breaker's test button, and the handle should move to the middle or the off position. To reset it, push the handle to off, then back to on. Have an electrician replace a GFCI breaker that fails.

Your panel may also have arc fault breakers, or AFCIs. They shut off a circuit when they detect sparking from a damaged wire or a loose connection, which can start a fire without anyone noticing. Test them monthly the same way as a GFCI breaker, and have an electrician replace one that fails.

Outside

Every outdoor outlet should be GFCI protected. If one isn't, have a GFCI put in, or plug a portable GFCI into it when you use it. Each outdoor outlet should also have its own weatherproof cover, kept closed when nothing is plugged in. Electrical cord and outlet safety covers the other outlets in the house.