Last week we discussed the importance of Ground Fault Interruption protection and the deadly consequences of not having GFI protection. But let's focus on one aspect that might be over looked - TESTING...

True or False? The failure rate for Ground Fault Circuit Interruption outlets within the initial 5 years of service life is about 50% .

TRUE - The Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI) performed a field survey of the performance of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFI) for an unnamed manufacturer. The survey found that more than 50% of the GFI outlets failed within 5 years of initial service. Why do so many units fail? The reason is simple - The GFI breakers are mechanical devices, and like any mechanical device that is subject to environmental exposure, including salt spray and thermal cycling, the mechanical parts corrode and simply fail to perform. What is the solution? Test the device prior to use. Push the button, if the device trips, it works - if the device doesn't trip out - don't use the outlet and have it replaced.

Bill Wittke at Holiday Isle Properties