In your bathroom and your kitchen, you should have GFCI receptacles installed. If not, you run a risk of electrocution. So what are GFCI receptacles? GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, and they are made to cut the power instantly when there is a dangerous situation involving electricity. This means that instead of hurting or killing you, a malfunctioning device will just cause the reset button to pop out on your GFCI receptacle.
It is easy to test whether or not your GFCI receptacle works. You just plug something into the receptacle and push the button labeled “Test”. When you do, the reset button should pop out and the power to the receptacle as well as any receptacles that are connected to it should be cut.
An electrician can easily replace your existing receptacles with GFCI receptacles to make your bathroom or kitchen safer, but it is not something that is recommended that a homeowner does on his own.
