GFCI outlets

Are people using these consistently with brewing projects to make things a little safer? Do you think they are unnecessary? I didn't use one on my kegerator but am def going to with my fermentation chamber. I'll have a heating element in the moist environment of the freezer so it seems like a must.

Also, what's the deal with standard wall outlets that have a "GFCI" sticker? Are they really? My understanding is that all GFCI outlets should have the set/reset buttons.

GFCI can be added at the breaker as well.

I plug all my stuff into GFCI outlets.

smittygouv30 said:

...def going to with my fermentation chamber. I'll have a heating element in the moist environment of the freezer so it seems like a must...

Click to expand...

Agreed, that was my thought process as well.

I use this Portable GFCI:

b-boy said:

GFCI can be added at the breaker as well.

I plug all my stuff into GFCI outlets.

Click to expand...

Ahhh, I see. I did not know that. Is there a difference between the two? My house has several GFCI with built in reset switches (mostly by sinks). And then several others that just have the stickers.

Check you panel. You should have at least one GFCI breaker with a reset on it.

They work the same. The reset are just easier to get to on the GFCI outlets.

when you are wiring a series of outlets, you only need the first in the series -- the one which feeds to your breaker box -- to be a gfci outlet with a breaker ('reset' button). all outlets down the line are protected by that first outlet. so you put a sticker on those if you want to.

in my living room, for example, all of my outlets are protected but only one has the reset button.

Also, what's the deal with standard wall outlets that have a "GFCI" sticker? Are they really? My understanding is that all GFCI outlets should have the set/reset buttons.

Click to expand...

Its my understanding that ordinary receptacles can be protected from a GFCI receptacle if properly wired. They are designed to do that. It is a way to save money. You may also consider a GFCI breaker if you have many receptacles to protect.

I would recommend always using GFCI protected circuits in your brewery. Any use of electricity near moisture or liquids is very dangerous without GFCI. Especially, if your electrical equipment has any DIY elements.

Most, if not all, GFCI outlets have the ability to protect an electrical load of additional outlets downstream in the same circuit. Hot and neutral for the downstream outlets are attached to the LOAD terminals of the GFCI outlet. This will also result in the stickers being placed on them.

GFCI circuit breakers can also be installed in the breaker panel to protect the entire circuit.

The downside to this is that the entire protected circuit loses power when the GFCI trips.

As for standard outlets marked as GFCI protected, I would suggest testing them before depending on them. A cheap tester like this can be used.

Awesome great information, thanks all. I'm a physical therapist by trade and no very little about electricity. However, I somehow find it awesomely interesting!
So what happens if you get a shock from a GFCI outlet? It senses abnormal flow of electricity and just cuts off? Do people still get electrocuted, just to a smaller extent?

GFCIs trip at about 5 milliamps of current which is supposed to be well below a level that would effect a person's heart.

In reading up on this subject I found some interesting statistics reported.

"In addition, GFCI protection devices fail at times, leaving the switching contacts closed and allowing the device to continue to provide power without protection. According to a 1999 study by the American Society of Home Inspectors, 21% of GFCI circuit breakers and 19% of GFCI receptacles inspected didn't provide protection, leaving the energized circuit unprotected. In most cases, damage to the internal transient voltage surge protectors (metal-oxide varistors) that protect the GFCI sensing circuit were responsible for the failures of the protection devices. In areas of high lightning activity, such as southwest Florida, the failure rate for GFCI circuit breakers and receptacles was over 50%!"

TEST YOUR GFCIs REGULARLY

Wow, that's a pretty high failure rate.

Is pushing the "test" button a sufficient test? Or do I actually need one of those GFCI testers?

Pushing the button is sufficient. The button connects hot to ground through a 25K resistor which creates a 5mA current differential between hot and neutral. If it trips, then it's good.

The GFCI testers basically do the same thing but can be plugged in anywhere on the protected circuit.

All this is predicated on a good ground existing at the receptacle since the ground is used to test the function.

Note: A GFCI can function correctly with no ground connected but will test as failed. The tester is useful in identifying a no ground condition.

Thanks for all the awesome info. I finished my ferm chamber last weekend and have the heating element hooked up to the GFCI.