Ground fault circuit interrupters have prevented thousands of electrocutions since they became required. Most Washington homes are missing at least a few, especially in older kitchens, garages and outdoor locations. Here is what current code expects.
Where GFCI protection is required
- All kitchen countertop outlets and outlets within 6 feet of any sink
- Bathrooms
- Garages and accessory buildings
- Unfinished basements and crawlspaces
- Laundry areas
- Outdoor outlets
- Boathouses, and near pools, spas and hot tubs
- Dishwasher and many kitchen appliance circuits in newer code cycles
Outlet or breaker?
Protection can come from a GFCI outlet, which also protects outlets downstream on the same circuit, or from a GFCI breaker in the panel. We choose based on accessibility: a GFCI in the garage that trips should be easy to reset, not buried behind a freezer.
Testing yours
Press Test monthly. The Reset button should pop out and power should cut. If it does not trip, or will not reset, replace the device. GFCIs do wear out, typically after 10 to 15 years.
When a GFCI keeps tripping
Moisture in an outdoor box, a failing refrigerator or freezer compressor, a damaged extension cord, or a wiring fault downstream are the usual causes. Our troubleshooting service finds the actual leak rather than swapping devices blindly.
Bringing an older home up to date
Adding GFCI protection room by room is affordable and is part of our outlet installation service. It is also one of the first things a home inspector will flag at sale.
Local pages: outlet installation in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver.