Gfci ......

[reefermadness]

A GFI is firstly a personal protection device. It is designed so that a if a person completed a ground fault (short to ground) the GFI would trip so fast that the person would sustain no injury. A GFI is designed to trip with 5mA of stray electricity in less than 25ms.

Having said that many fires can start as a gound fault (short to ground). A GFI would help in preventing these fires. Remember that electicity can easily stray to ground in many many ways. If you have have every been shocked it is most likely that the electricity passed though you to ground....even though you may have been standing on wood floors or carpet. If you were not grounded you would be isolated and in that case you would not feel a shock at all.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by RR37

Ignorance is bliss.


I don't need to change the timing belt on my car because I change the oil every 4900K. Give your head a shake, thats comparable to the logic that people are using to defend the idea that a GFI can prevent fire. Anyone who has had a GFI prevent what they think would have been a fire is clearly displaying how unfamiliar they are with electricity period.

isn't it wonderfull we have you then.. good thing as aprently I waisted two years in university

anyways to answer the question I asked that you don't want to as it will show you are not exactly corect, is "yes" a short can cause a fire, actualy shorts are the major cause of fires. and yes a GFI will prevent most shorts, so in a way yes they will prevent soem fires.

Steve

[RR37]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

isn't it wonderfull we have you then.. good thing as aprently I waisted two years in university

anyways to answer the question I asked that you don't want to as it will show you are not exactly corect, is "yes" a short can cause a fire, actualy shorts are the major cause of fires. and yes a GFI will prevent most shorts, so in a way yes they will prevent soem fires.

Steve

Dude, I didn't see your post calm down.


The only short they would prevent is a short to ground, if you can make a fire with a short to ground your pretty special. Like red green special...

[whatcaneyedo]

Originally Posted by RR37

Ignorance is bliss.


I don't need to change the timing belt on my car because I change the oil every 4900K. Give your head a shake, thats comparable to the logic that people are using to defend the idea that a GFI can prevent fire. Anyone who has had a GFI prevent what they think would have been a fire is clearly displaying how unfamiliar they are with electricity period.

My part in this thread has gone on long enough. You've made your point and I've made mine so I won't argue this any further. I personally don't care what they do exactly or how they do it. All I know is since I installed GFI's I haven't seen any sparks or smoke when my electronics get wet and that is good enough for me.