mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
I said it a while back and I will confidently say it again: LED indicators, SmartLock technology, internal self testing and the test/reset buttons do not accurately verify that a GFCI is functioning correctly. They do not tell you the speed at which a GFCI will trip, nor do they demonstrate that power has successfully been interrupted once the receptacle has tripped. Plugging in a load does not guarantee it either.
Case in point (turn up audio for maximum experience ) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQXsCc11qc
Happily buzzing away:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XACCFgc1q-A
The GFCI above trips and resets as it should, its indicator LED goes out when tripped and so do line to neutral connected loads. However, when a fault is placed line to ground it trips but continuous to pass lethal levels of current while buzzing away. I verified the wiring as being correct. The unit in question is only 5 years old.
I did the same test on another but identical GFCI and it does not do the same after tripping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8phlIi42qY
Case in point (turn up audio for maximum experience ) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQXsCc11qc
Happily buzzing away:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XACCFgc1q-A
The GFCI above trips and resets as it should, its indicator LED goes out when tripped and so do line to neutral connected loads. However, when a fault is placed line to ground it trips but continuous to pass lethal levels of current while buzzing away. I verified the wiring as being correct. The unit in question is only 5 years old.
I did the same test on another but identical GFCI and it does not do the same after tripping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8phlIi42qY