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GFCI Outlet Installation in Grand Prairie, TX

Mr. Electric electrician inspecting outlet.

Mr. Electric Keeps Your Family Safe With GFCI Outlets

Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) outlets are designed to protect you and your family from electrical shock risk. Mr. Electric of Grand Prairie offers professional GFCI outlet installation services to Grand Prairie, Cedar Hill, and Waxahachie, TX homeowners to make their households safer. Installing a GFCI outlet is easily affordable and an excellent way to avoid electrical shock. Installing these outlets also ensures your home is up to modern Texas building code standards. Our team of electricians works to ensure your family’s safety with GFCI outlet installation. You can learn more about GFCI outlets on this page and then reach out to us today to request an estimate or schedule service.

What Are GFCI Outlets?

GFCI outlets are a required electrical feature in areas with significant amounts of moisture, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and garages. You can easily identify a GFCI outlet because it has “test” and “reset” buttons on its receptacle. These outlet types are designed to protect people from shock and other electrical hazards. A GFCI outlet immediately cuts off power to your outlet whenever it detects an imbalance in the electricity flow. If you’re not sure if a room or space in your home requires GFCI outlets, you can get in touch with Mr. Electric of Grand Prairie. Don’t risk electrical hazards and wind up with a family member getting shocked or burned when an outlet develops a short.

How to Operate & Test Your GFCI Outlets

Installing a GFCI outlet won’t do much good in your home if you don’t understand how to operate it correctly. Whenever your GFCI outlet cuts off the power flow, you must press the “reset” button to restore power to that outlet. Since GFCIs are more sensitive than an electrical panel’s circuit breakers, they’re a more reliable safety option. Electric shocks can negatively affect your heartbeat, but a GFCI outlet will prevent this situation from happening. You should test all of your GFCI outlets every month to ensure they function correctly. Mr. Electric of Grand Prairie advises you to follow these steps to test your GFCI outlet performance:

  1. Press the “test” button to stop the electrical flow to the outlet.
  2. Plug in any small device that uses minimal electricity, such as a night light, to ensure there is no power current flowing to the receptacle.
  3. Press the “reset” button to allow power to flow to the outlet again.

Understanding GFCI Outlet Requirements

Modern building codes require GFCI outlets in certain spaces in and around your home, whether you live in Grand Prairie, Cedar Hill, or Waxahachie, TX. These special outlets have been a required electrical feature for homeowners since 1971. Many areas around your home are required to have GFCI outlets instead of standard outlets, especially if there's a chance the area can get wet or exposed to water or moisture. Mr. Electric of Grand Prairie suggests checking out the following GFCI outlet requirements and the years these requirements were put in place:

  • Spas & Pool Areas (1971)
  • Home Exteriors (1973)
  • Bathrooms (1975)
  • Garages (1987)
  • Kitchen Countertops (1987)
  • Crawlspaces & Unfinished Basements (1990)
  • Wet Bars (1993)
  • Laundry & Utility Sinks (2005)

GFCI Outlet Limitations

Now that you know what types of appliances and residential areas GFCI outlets must be used with, it’s also essential to understand their limitations. You should never use GFCI outlets for freezers or refrigerators. These appliances generate electromagnetic interference that can trip these outlets. Additionally, you should never hook up most dryers and stoves to GFCI outlets because they require 240-amp power outlets. Appliances with heating elements, such as irons, hair dryers, and toaster ovens, can trip GFCI outlets, so don’t run these appliances plugged into GFCIs. Do not plug an extension cord with too many devices plugged into it into a GFCI outlet because it will likely cause the outlet to trip.

Upgrade to GFCI Outlets Today

Living in an older home can increase your and your family's risk of electrical shock. Mr. Electric of Grand Prairie offers various electrical services like GFCI outlet with switch installation to upgrade your home’s power receptacles. These inexpensive devices can potentially save your life or that of someone you love, so there’s no reason to delay having our electricians install GFCI outlets. Contact us today to protect yourself and your family with GFCI outlet installations.