Redwood Empire Inspector's Perspective

Does a GFCI really prevent electrical shocks?

November 29, 2009 on 7:57 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

I see many home inspectors stating that GFCI’s should be installed to prevent electrical shocks. The fact is GFCI’s do absolutly nothing to reduce the risk of an electrical shock. A properly functioning GFCI device can greatly reduce the risk of electrocution (death by electric shock) or serious injury.

A GFCI is designed to disconnect power if a maximum of 6 ma (milliamps) is exiting the circuit and not returning (for example when the 6 ma is going through a person). A 6 ma shock is very painful and could still result in injury or possibly a remote chance of death. I certainly encourage the use of GFCI’s, but people should be aware that they could still get a pretty nasty shock if they are not careful.

You can read more about GFCI’s here.