Keep Santa Safe: Test or Replace Your GFCIs
by
Home Repair Tutor
(IC: vlogger)
$15
1 Hour
Easy
Everyone this time of year has beautiful lights on the outside of their house to celebrate the holidays. And during the summer my neighbors have accent lighting they like to use in the evening .
This past weekend I noticed one of our outlets wasn't a GFCI and I decided to replace it. About 30 minutes after I finished it started to rain, which got me thinking.
If you don't have your lights plugged into an outdoor GFCI this could lead to a seriously "shocking" situation. How do you explain to the rest of the world that you were responsible for Santa's cardiac arrest?
I'm sharing how I installed a new GFCI, tested it for proper wiring, and installed a new weatherproof cover because I want to help you keep your house safe. Click on this link to get more ideas and several helpful videos http://www.homerepairtutor.com/outdoor-gfci-electrical-outlet-installation/
Here are a few tips that will help keep the Big Guy safe this holiday season:
+Push the TEST button to make sure your GFCIs work
+Check that all electrical outlets on the outside are GFCI protected
+Install a weatherproof GFCI cover to prevent moisture from entering your electrical box
+And just in case Santa has to use the Kitchen or Bathroom you should test the GFCIs in those rooms as well
There are several videos in my blog post from myself and other contractors who really know their stuff. One video is for pure entertainment though, so just a heads up (some of you know I'm a huge Star Wars fan so don't be that surprised)
This past weekend I noticed one of our outlets wasn't a GFCI and I decided to replace it. About 30 minutes after I finished it started to rain, which got me thinking.
If you don't have your lights plugged into an outdoor GFCI this could lead to a seriously "shocking" situation. How do you explain to the rest of the world that you were responsible for Santa's cardiac arrest?
I'm sharing how I installed a new GFCI, tested it for proper wiring, and installed a new weatherproof cover because I want to help you keep your house safe. Click on this link to get more ideas and several helpful videos http://www.homerepairtutor.com/outdoor-gfci-electrical-outlet-installation/
Here are a few tips that will help keep the Big Guy safe this holiday season:
+Push the TEST button to make sure your GFCIs work
+Check that all electrical outlets on the outside are GFCI protected
+Install a weatherproof GFCI cover to prevent moisture from entering your electrical box
+And just in case Santa has to use the Kitchen or Bathroom you should test the GFCIs in those rooms as well
There are several videos in my blog post from myself and other contractors who really know their stuff. One video is for pure entertainment though, so just a heads up (some of you know I'm a huge Star Wars fan so don't be that surprised)
Enjoyed the project?
Published December 13th, 2012 4:00 PM
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2 of 9 comments
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Brian Campbell, Basswood Artisan Carpentry on Dec 15, 2012Another tip, you mentioned (in your blog post) the limitations on the number of conductors allowed to share a common box with a GFCI. If this is a problem, a GFCI breaker can be installed in the electrical panel, rather than at an outlet.
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Home Repair Tutor on Dec 16, 2012Thanks Brian for recommending the GFCI breaker :)
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