I believe most of my outlets are wired in one series to a GFI outlet in my garage but I'm not sure of the outlet beside my garage door opener. Is there a way to tell if this outlet is also protected?
Also, is there a difference between a GFI outlet and surge protected outlet ? Keep in mind, I'm far from a electrical guru so easy words please .
If you want to do it simple, the GFI outlet should have a test button on it. Press that button, it should trip the GFI. You will not have any power at that outlet. Then go to the other outlets and see if you have power there. Plug in a lamp or radio or any small device to check for power. When you have found outlets that do not work, go back to the GFI outlet and press the reset button. That will turn the power back on. Go to the other outlets and power should also be restored there.
Of the garage door opener is in the cealing of the garage, I doubt it is hooked to the GFI as you want to get the door open if that is where the opener is plugged in. Same as you do not hook a GFI to a refrigerator. Those things can trip for no good reason and all the food will go bad.
A GFI outlet or breaker if in the main box are to prortect you. In simple terms it senses a current differance between the hot and neutral wires. All the curent goes out of one hole in the outlet and should come back in the other hole. If for some reason some of the current goes out of one hole, but say there is a short from that wire to the metal case of something you have in your hand (say electric weed eater). Some of the current will go through you and to the earth and not return to the other wire. If enough goes this path, you will get electricuted. The ammount is less than it takes to light up a 10 watt lightbulb. If working correctly, the GFI will open up the circuit before the current will cause you any harm. Also if an outside outlet gets wet, it can trip the GFI if it has one.
A surge protected outlet will not do anything to protect you. They are made to protect electronic devices from over voltage. Say during a thunder storm, lightning hits some electrical wires down the road , a high voltage may be developed and comes into your house. The surge protector is to send this voltage to the ground wire and protect the electronic devices in your house. They are not big enough to protect extreanly large surges if say lightning hits the pole outside your house.
Very shout version. GFI protects you, surge protector protects equipment from over voltage.
There is some more to that above, but this is the simple version that should get the meaning across.
2) surge protected is what computers need. If there is too high voltage, like lightning near by, it trips off. Protects the computer from being fried or burnt up. GFCI means if some power is leaking like someone getting a shock, it trips off. Protects people from being electrocuted.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Also, is there a difference between a GFI outlet and surge protected outlet ? Keep in mind, I'm far from a electrical guru so easy words please .
Great Ralph, that explains it well. Why didn't I think of the switch to trip the GFI .... guess it shows my electrical knowledge :( Thanks !!
Thanks Chris. I think I got it !!!
If it was me, I'd plug something into the suspect outlet before I tripped the GFCI to ensure that it actually worked at the time.
If the device goes off when I tripped the GFCI I'd know right away and could reset the GFCI without walking back and forth.
Here's some easy words: All that crap is just a con job. Some dickwad invented the stuff, then bought some lawmakers. You flat out don't need any of that crap. You don't even need the damn ground pin anymore, since everything is plastic and double insulated.
Every person has "I didn't know that" moments. Some kind people explain, others criticize. I hope to be remembered as nice.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Thanks Chris. I think I got it !!!
Radio on full volume. "work from here".
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
If it was me, I'd plug something into the suspect outlet before I tripped the GFCI to ensure that it actually worked at the time.
If the device goes off when I tripped the GFCI I'd know right away and could reset the GFCI without walking back and forth.
You are the dickwad. The previous answers have been absolutely on the mark and you should be ashamed for your bad language and een worse comments themselves.
Maybe one day he'll pick up a damaged extension cord on one of those outlets without a GFCI and get his just reward.
Perhaps he has some statistics to back up his claim?
I looked up those statistics for y'all a few years ago. More people die by falling down on level ground than are electrocuted in their homes.
And almost all of the people who *are* electrocuted in their homes, die while working on 240 volt wiring. Note the "240 volts" and the fact they're actively doing wiring repairs when electrocuted.
It is almost impossible to electrocute yourself accidentally with 120 volts. Mythbusters couldn't even kill a crash test dummy by throwing a hair dryer or radio into the bathtub.
You can be damn sure that nobody lusted after a GFI until some shyster invented the gadget and hyped the shit out of the horrible imaginary dangers of electricity.
Sorry, I'm not ashamed on either count. Fuck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck. Shit.
On a.h.r., where you act like an ass with every post by top-posting? Unlikely.
If you think there is a big difference in the electrocution risk of 240V, versus 120V, maybe you can offer some insight into how that is so?
To electrocute yourself with 240V, while working on say an oven or water heater, you'd have to put yourself across both hots at the same time. Now in my world, that seems extremely unlikely. Far more likely you're touching the grounded water tank or oven and touch ONE of the hots. Or standing on a damp concrete floor and contacting one hot.
So, please explain how folks typically manage to come across both hots to receive 240V......
Mythbusters couldn't even kill a crash test dummy by throwing a
Stormin Mormon has brought this to us :
You would be remembered even better if you used a proper usenet browser and bottom posted as nearly everyone else does.
I suppose you drive on the left of the road too, just to be different.
PS. most of your answers are good sense.
Smitty Two brought next idea :
All US domestic wiring is only 120 volts above ground so who gets electrocuted?
NOT A SERIOUS SUGGESTION ========================
If you are brave:
Wire a resistor with a value about 3000 ohms between line/live and ground/earth and plug it in.
Assuming this is a 110-120V outlet and the GFCI is set at 30mA this should cause the GFCI to trip out (it would cause a current imbalance of about 35mA RMS which is a little more than a 30mA GFCI would be looking for. Adjust resistor if your GFCI is differently rated.
If there's no GFCI and the resistor has a power rating less than about 3-4W it's likely to act like a fuse and explode.
This is NOT an entirely serious proposition unless you are careful but it would make a fairly valid test and show that the GFCI was tripping at the right amount of current imbalance.
I would not be surprised if there was a ready made plug version (safely designed) that you could buy.
In fact:
Of course, it does not tell you that your GFCI is tripping in the required time - for that you need a fancy tester.
Everything?
Plenty of grounded (Class I) appliances in europe - less than there used to be mind, but still quite a lot - and lots of old legacy appliances.
RCDs/GFCIs play a very important role in safety. Even with double insulated appliances it's still possible for a fault to expose someone to live mains - whilst they are standing on a concrete floor or leaning against a masonry wall or touching metal pipework.
The IET who write the wiring regulations for the UK now manadate *for domestic wiring* that all sockets[1] and all wiring[2] be RCD protected by a
30mA/40mS device. Given harmonisation that will be the case throughout the EU. This is a further increase over the previous edition. Those guys generally know what they are doing. [1] With excpetions for certain sockets allowed, eg medical apparatus, fridges and freezers - but such sockets must be marked as unprotected [2] Unless wiring is buried > 2" under the wall surface or mechanically protected with metal trunking, metal conduit or is an armoured cable construction. Too many dipweeds who will bang picture hooks in willy nilly...What's the NEC's
Good point - a lawnmower that just chopped it's own lead is one of the more common scenarios - especially as the user will invariably pick it up whilst standing on damp grass!
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