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A residual-current device (RCD), residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB) or ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) [a] is an electrical safety device, more specifically a form of Earth-leakage circuit breaker, that interrupts an electrical circuit when the current passing through line and neutral conductors of a circuit is not equal (the term residual relating to the imbalance), therefore ...
A receptacle tester being used to check for some types of improper wiring of an outlet. For this particular tester, proper wiring is indicated by the two yellow lights. The outlet tester checks that each contact in the outlet appears to be connected to the correct wire in the building's electrical wiring. It can identify several common wiring ...
There are several alternatives for connecting newer appliances to two-prong receptacles without rewiring the building: removing the grounding pin of the plug (unsafe), replacing the receptacle with a three-prong outlet (unsafe without proper ground), or replacing the receptacle with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI).
An outlet is defined by the NEC as "a point in the wiring system at which current is taken to utilization equipment". [1] This definition includes receptacles, lighting, motors, etc. Ordinary switches control but do not consume electricity, and therefore are not defined as outlets in this sense.
The NEC also permits grounding-type receptacles in non-grounded wiring protected by a GFCI; this only applies when old non-grounded receptacles are replaced with grounded receptacles, and the new receptacles must be marked with 'No equipment ground' and 'GFCI Protected' . 240 V receptacle faces
Such a protection mechanism may be found in the form of distribution board modules, standalone devices, and special sockets (aka receptacles). Voltage-operated ELCBs can still be found in the wild, though these largely fell out of favour after the invention of the current-sensing based RCD (aka GFCI) technology.
Isolation transformers and dedicated NEMA 1-15 shaver receptacles were once standard installation practice in North America, but now a GFCI receptacle is used instead. This provides the full capacity of a standard receptacle but protects the user of a razor or other appliance from leakage current.
Plus the average GFCI receptacle costs about an hour's wages - or less. One GFCI receptacle can be used to protect a number of donwstream receptacles, if you're building a summer cottage or a doghouse or something and want to save $8 or so. And if you need to protect a permanently-wired apparatus, you can of course buy a GFCI circuit breaker.