this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2024
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[โ€“] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Breakers work when you draw too much current through the circuit and a metal strip heats up, expands and flips the circuit off. It's meant to stop you from plugging in too many devices and heating up the wire inside of your wall. It takes a bit of time activate.

GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt. If any current is detected going across one of the current carrying wires and the grounding wire, it immediately turns the circuit off.

PSA, please, please don't rip off the grounding prong on your outdoor water fountain pump because you can't find a grounded extension cord.

[โ€“] AgentRocket@feddit.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

I think you misunderstood. he meant in Germany the gfci is wired between where the electricity comes into your home and the breakers, so every outlet is protected, not just the ones in the bathroom.

Except in old buildings, like the one i'm living in, where there is no grounding wire and ground fault protection is done by bridging ground to neutral and hoping that enough current flows through the fault to trigger the breaker.