Rebecca’s Recommendations: Where There’s Water, There’s CFCI
07 Jun 2016
File this under “you learn something new every day.”
Upon a recent inspection while preparing to sell our home, we learned that regular outlets near any sort of water source don’t cut it. That means bathrooms and kitchens should be outfitted with GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets. Not only that, but they’re also supposed to be installed in crawl spaces, basements and in any outdoor outlets. Really, they’re a good idea everywhere, as they protect you whether or not wiring is grounded.
While replacing existing outlets in these areas might seem overwhelming, it’s actually a fairly quick fix. And while there’s no price on safety, luckily it’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade. Older non-GFCI outlets can be retrofitted for around $10. You can easily do the job yourself by purchasing a GFCI adapter, available at amazon.com, home-improvement stores and most hardware stores. All you do it is plug it in and you’re set!
