If your home isn’t equipped with newer outlets, you may need to consider replacing them. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet can help to reduce the risk of electrical shock, harm to your home’s wiring or fuse box, and damage to your electronics and appliances.
Protect Yourself From Electrical Shock
A GFCI outlet senses any type of imbalance in the movement of an electrical current, such as when a current comes into contact with a person. Any deviation from a current’s regular path trip an interruption in the outlet’s current. The interruption happens within a fraction of a second, greatly reducing the physical harm that can be caused by an electrical shock.
Make Your Home’s Electrical System Safer
Apart from protecting individuals from shock, a GFCI outlet can also help to reduce the risk of electrical fire caused by an overheating appliance. An outlet that has been shut off can’t transmit electrical fire throughout the rest of your system, and it will prevent wires from being damaged. If you think that your wires may have already sustained this type of damage, you should get professional help as soon as possible. If you’re looking for MD electrical services, work with a provider who can help you identify damage and also replace your outlets.
Avoid Tripped Fuses
Simply overloading an outlet can also cause damage to your home’s electrical system and fuse box; this is part of why most homes’ fuse box or circuit breakers will trip when an outlet is demanding too much power. GFCI outlets will spare you from a trip to the basement to address fuse outages.
Safeguard Your Appliances Against Damage
If there is a power surge or ground fault imbalance in your home, the outlet will be turned off and anything plugged into it will lose power almost immediately. This can help save some of your most important electronics and appliances from getting fried by a sudden power jolt.
