GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) breaker
In Canada, a **GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) breaker** is a high-performance safety device that lives in your main electrical panel. Unlike a standard GFCI outlet, a breaker provides "blanket protection" for everything on that circuit. It essentially combines **three specific functions** into one unit: ### **1. Personnel Protection (The GFCI Function)** This is the primary job of the breaker. It is designed to prevent you from being electrocuted. * **The "Class A" Standard:** In Canada, these are **Class A** devices. They monitor the balance of electricity between the hot and neutral wires. * **Trip Threshold:** If it detects a leakage of as little as **** (), it trips. This is a tiny amount of electricity—roughly 1/30th of what it takes to light a small LED—but it's enough to stop a heart if it passes through a human body. * **Speed:** It reacts in about ** of a second** (25 milliseconds), faster than a single heartbeat. ### **2. Overload Protection** Because it is a **circuit breaker**, it also does what a regular breaker does: it protects the house's wiring from melting. * **Function:** If you plug in too many appliances (e.g., a kettle and a space heater on the same 15A circuit), the internal bimetallic strip heats up and trips the breaker. * **Difference from GFCI Outlet:** A GFCI **receptacle** (outlet) does *not* protect against overloads; it only protects against ground faults. The GFCI **breaker** does both. ### **3. Short Circuit Protection** If a "hot" wire touches a "neutral" or "ground" wire directly (a short circuit), a massive burst of current occurs. * **Function:** The breaker uses a magnetic sensor to detect this sudden spike and trips instantly to prevent a fire or an explosion inside the wall. --- ### **Summary: GFCI Breaker vs. GFCI Outlet** | Feature | GFCI Breaker (Panel) | GFCI Outlet (Receptacle) | | --- | --- | --- | | **Protects People?** | Yes | Yes | | **Protects Wiring?** | Yes (Overload/Short Circuit) | No | | **Coverage** | The entire circuit (all outlets/lights) | That outlet + "downstream" outlets | | **Reset Location** | At the main electrical panel | At the wall outlet | ### **Blogger Labels** * **GFCI Breaker Functions,** * **CEC Class A GFCI,** * **Electrical Shock Protection,** * **Overload vs Ground Fault,** * **Canadian Electrical Code 2026,** **Would you like me to explain the difference between a GFCI breaker and an AFCI (Arc Fault) breaker, and why the 2024/2026 code often requires a "Dual-Function" breaker that does both?**
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ_DuR1s28E
