Water and electricity do not mix. Due to many accidents and several deaths involving electric appliances and water, changes were made in the National Electric Code (Rev. 1993) which require the use of ground fault circuit-interrupters (GFCI).

If a hair dryer fell into a bathroom sink filled with water and you removed it while touching a grounded surface, you would be electrocuted. A GFCI protected circuit would protect you by shutting off the power before enough electrical current could travel through your body to the ground.


A GFCI outlet has a special internal device that trips out if an imbalance on the phase and neutral occurs. It has a reset button built in it to restore power.

In kitchens or bathrooms any outlet that is within six feet of a sink or lavatory must be protected with a GFCI. In unfinished basements GFCIs are limited to storage areas or work areas. According to the National Electrical Code, sleeping rooms or living rooms are not required to be protected by this device.

On outbuildings where plug-ins are exposed to wet conditions (rain and dampness), all outlets must be GFCI protected. A new type of cover is now required - when closed it must be able to have a cord plugged into it and still be mostly rain tight.