Let’s say your teen is using an electric drill outside and standing with bare feet in a puddle. Not a good idea. Let’s say the drill malfunctions and leaks electricity out of its proper circuitry. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, which just might be from the drill, along arms and legs, and into the puddle. If the drill were plugged into an ordinary outlet, this could be a fatal accident.

In recent years, the National Electric Code has included requirements for special safety outlets where such accidents could happen. These special outlets are called “GFIs” (Ground Fault Interrupters) or “GFCIs” (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) — two different names for the same thing. They are required by the National Electric Code in garages, kitchens, bathrooms, pools, spas, and in some other outdoor areas where water could be present. The Electric Connection, your local Glendale electrician, can check all of your outlets for you and replace or install new GFCI’s.

A GFI, or safety outlet, detects that the current in an appliance is no longer flowing in its proper circuit. It shuts off the current within milliseconds. In the case of our teen, if the drill were plugged into a safety outlet, electrocution would be avoided — a life saved.

GFIs look different from ordinary outlets. They have two buttons labeled “Test” and “Reset.” You can check that the outlet will cut off current when needed for safety by pressing “Test.” Test should shut off current to the outlet so that the outlet no longer provides power. After the test, you can restore current to the outlet by pressing “Reset.”

Newer GFIs also have a tiny green indicator light that tells you that it’s providing power. This is a handy feature when you conduct your test. It’s also handy because from time to time, safety outlets may be triggered without your knowledge and may no longer be providing power. The absence of the green light will alert you to this situation.

A Downside

This is the downside of safety outlets — they can be tripped without your realizing, or they can become faulty and can trip repeatedly for no reason. Let’s say you have an electric toothbrush charger plugged into a safety outlet in your bathroom. The outlet has somehow been tripped and no longer provides power. If it’s equipped with a green indicator light, the light will be off. In any case, if it’s lost power, press “Reset” and power should be restored.

Another possibility is that an outlet in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, or outdoor area is not a safety outlet but is “protected” by a GFI elsewhere in the circuitry. If a non-safety outlet in your house has lost power, you can check for this situation by making sure that all the GFIs in your kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas have not been tripped and are still providing power.

Home Safety Check

Check that your kitchens, bathrooms, garage, and outdoor areas are equipped with working GFIs. (Refrigerators are incompatible with safety outlets and should not be plugged into one nor protected by safety outlets elsewhere in the circuitry.) If you have GFIs, remember that they have a limited lifespan, so press the Test button of each at least once a month to check that they shut off power as designed.

If your home doesn’t have safety outlets or they are no longer working, call a qualified electrician to get an estimate for installation. GFIs are a relatively inexpensive investment in your family’s safety.

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It has been six months since I started writing for the Light Reading blog, and boy has it gone by quickly. It’s hard to believe that I have written almost 50 posts! To mark this occasion, here are the six blog posts YOU liked best during my last six months of blogging.

1. via Strobel Design Build

In retrospect, I can see why this has been such a hit with the Light Reading readership. I mean, when it comes toMinions Web

This post was one of those visual, inspirational posts that I enjoy reading on other blogs. Instead of giving step by step instructions, this blog post shows you a bunch on interesting things that people have done with LED Matthew Danser Photography

This was my first blog post for Pegasus! In it, I interview Austin, TX photographer Matthew Danser to find out how he “paints” with light in his photos. We learn some interested photography tricks – tricks that I try out in the next most popular post.

5.

In this post I take some of Danser’s suggestions and experiment with “light painting” in my apartment at night. There’s lots of fun stuff here, and things get a little weird with my designs, but hey! It was an experiment! No stuffed animals were hurt during this photo shoot.

6.

The DC area is likely to see more rain over the next few months as fall weather arrives. Among the many issues that homeowners could face if the rain is particularly torrential is flooding. This opens families up to a number of safety hazards, not least of which has to do with the exposure of electrical systems to moisture. As one of the leading has a rundown of four rules for dealing with electrical issues after a flood which can give you a basic understanding of what you should do:

If you are looking to start working from home, an important aspect is to have a legitimate workspace. One of the best ways to create a highly-functional and productive home office space is to update your house wiring. At Electrical Gurus, our electrician services include both commercial and residential electrician specialists who can help transform your spare bedroom into a proper home office. With our help, you can transform your spare bedroom into the most efficient office in the Midwest. In fact, you’ll probably wonder why it took you so long to abandon your cubicle!

If you are requiring a home office, there is almost a 100% chance that you are going to require internet services. Although most devices, including computers, phones, printers, and tablets, are WiFi-capable, having a dedicated, hardwired ethernet port in your home office will increase reliability of your service. Additionally, one of our expert residential electricians can ensure that all of your devices are correctly powered and have the proper grounding to prevent power surges.

In addition to reliable internet and power for your home office, great office lighting will increase productivity. With our speciality lighting design services, Electrical Gurus can design and install lighting that will maximize your natural light while also providing an excellent workspace without the neon buzz that convinced you to leave your regular office job in the first place.

When you want to start working from home, the first step should be setting up your home office. Contact Electrical Gurus online today, or call 515-446-7040 to have an expert residential electrician help you plan your home office.