GFCI is short for “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter”.
GFCI outlets are most common in rooms with plumbing, like bathroom or kitchen sinks. These outlets are designed to protect people from severe electric shocks.
Ground faults are an abnormal, unintentional electrical path that directs current into the ground. Ground faults happen when an electrical current escapes a home’s insulated wires as a result of damaged wires. A GFCI outlet detects the flow of a home’s electrical currents through the wiring and senses the presence of a ground fault. If ground faults are found, the GFCI outlet shuts off the flow of electricity to prevent a person from receiving a potentially fatal shock.
