tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26189303471166891002011-04-21T15:22:35.096-07:00Handy man knowledge from one non-handy man to another.Burnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292768577413547855noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618930347116689100.post-49667447127858940292009-03-12T14:16:00.000-07:002009-03-12T15:43:32.025-07:00Something I just recently understood about household electricity: it not only comes into your appliance, but it also leaves it. I think of it as a river of water that flows to a village (your microwave for example), the village takes what it needs, and the water flows on.<br /><br />All electrical outlets in a home are wired with 3 wires. There's a hot (black) wire, a common (white) and a ground wire. Think of the hot wire as how the electricity gets to your appliance. The common wire takes electricity back into the grid. The ground wire is there if somehow the hot wire actually comes in contact with the appliance. If the appliance is somehow electrified, the ground serves to redirect the electricity to the ground (tripping the circuit) instead of YOU possibly acting as the ground.<br /><br />GFI means Ground Fault Interrupter. Basically it's the third line of protection. IF your appliance is malfunctioning as above, AND you're somehow grounding yourself (touching the appliance and a grounded object), AND the device isn't grounded, the GFI will trip the circuit before you get electrocuted. The GFI senses that the flow coming back to white isn't what it should be, and shut's the circuit down. GFI's are required in household bathrooms and kitchens. That's because of the ole' "Hairdryer" in the bathtub scenario. A GFI won't allow a person to be electrocuted in this manner.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2618930347116689100-4966744712785894029?l=handymanstuff.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Burnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292768577413547855noreply@blogger.com0