CG: n
CT: A GFCI is only as good as its installation and inspection. A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is the only protection device designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system. Because of this, we need to understand what a GFCI is, how it works, and what its limitations are.
S: E4U – https://bit.ly/38zjjKZ (last access: 11 January 2021)
N: 1. – ground-fault (adj): Formed by noun “ground” (it comes from the old English grund “bottom; foundation; surface of the earth,” also “abyss, Hell,” and “bottom of the sea” -a sense preserved in run aground-, from the Proto-Germanic *grundu-, which seems to have meant “deep place” -source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish grund, Dutch grond, Old High German grunt, German Grund “ground, soil, bottom;” Old Norse grunn “a shallow place,” grund “field, plain,” grunnr “bottom”-; no known cognates outside Germanic) and “fault” (from the late 13 century, faute, “deficiency,” from Old French faute, earlier falte, “opening, gap; failure, flaw, blemish; lack, deficiency” (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fallita “a shortcoming, falling,” from Latin falsus “deceptive, feigned, spurious,” past participle of fallere “deceive, disappoint”).
. Electricity. The momentary, usually accidental, grounding of a conducting wire.
– circuit (n): From the late 14 century, “a circumference; a periphery, a line going around (an area), whether circular or not; a circular or circuitous course,” from Old French circuit (14c.) “a circuit; a journey (around something),” from Latin circuitus “a going around,” from stem of circuire, circumire “go around,” from circum “round” (see circum-) + ire “to go” (from PIE root *ei- “to go”).
– interrupter (n): From noun “interrupt” (from 1956, “action of interrupting,”, originally in computing in reference to programs, from interrupt (v.)) and “-er” (English agent noun ending, corresponding to Latin -or. In native words it represents Old English –ere, Old Northumbrian also –are, “man who has to do with,” from Proto-Germanic *-ari, cognates: German –er, Swedish –are, Danish –ere, from Proto-Germanic *-arjoz. Some believe this root is identical with, and perhaps a borrowing of, Latin –arius). First Known Use of interrupter: circa 1512. Variants: or less commonly interruptor.
2. An electronic safety device used in place of a standard electrical outlet in areas where shocks are more likely, as kitchens, bathrooms, and workshops: it immediately breaks the circuit if electricity is being lost.
3. In a typical 2-wire circuit, the current returning to the power supply will be equal to the current leaving the power supply (except for some small leakage). If the difference between the current leaving and returning through the current transformer of the GFCI protection device exceeds 5mA (51mA), the solid-state circuitry opens the switching contacts and de-energizes the circuit (see Figure, above). This will always happen as long as the GFCI is in working order. However, GFCIs fail more often than most people think. And they give no outward sign that they are no longer providing their protection.
4. A GFCI controller can be configured to detect, among other things, a fault, such as a hazardous current path, such as a short or other low impedance or high current path, creating a difference between current flowing from a source, such as a source line (e.g., line hot) of a power outlet receptacle (e.g., 120V, 60 Hz power outlet receptacles, etc.), and current flowing through a return, such as a return line (e.g., line neutral) of the power outlet receptacle, which, if left undetected, can lead to electrocution or electrical shock, to fire, or to damage of one or more coupled electrical components coupled to the power outlet receptacle. Once the fault is detected, the GFCI circuit can be configured to interrupt power from the source, removing the fault.
S: 1. OED – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=ground-fault+circuit+interrupter; https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=interrupt; https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=-er (last access: 11 January 2021); WordRef – https://www.wordreference.com/definition/ground%20fault (last access: 11 January 2021); MW – https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrupter (last access: 11 January 2021). 2. Collins – https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ground-fault-interrupter (last access: 10 January 2021). 3. E4U – https://bit.ly/38zjjKZ (last access: 11 January 2021). 4. BA – https://patents.google.com/patent/US8760824/en (last access: 11 January 2021).
SYN: GFCI, ground-fault interrupter.
S: TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=GROUND-FAULT+CIRCUIT+INTERRUPTER&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 11 January 2021)
CR: circuit breaker
