Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter breakers are designed to do what?

• A. Protect the circuit from ground faults
• B. Protect against overcurrent
• C. Isolate the circuit during power surges
• D. Measure voltage across conductors

Answer: (A)

Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter breakers are designed to protect people from electric shock by detecting leakage of current to ground and quickly interrupting the circuit. They monitor the current flowing in the hot and neutral conductors, and if any current escapes to ground (such as through a person or water), the device trips in a fraction of a second, usually at a few milliamps of leakage. This function is different from overcurrent protection, which only shuts off when the current is too high to prevent overheating, or from surge protection and voltage measurement, which are not the primary roles of a GFCI. In wet or damp areas, GFCIs are especially important because the risk of ground faults is higher.