Just last week I installed a GFCI electrical outlet in one of my bathrooms. I guess the house is about 30 years old and it wasn’t part of the electrical building code way back then. Most home accidental deaths come from electrocution, I’ve read. That considered, $18.00 isn’t too much to pay, eh?

Monthly testing is an easy and quick task so there’s really no reason to avoid it. I mean, it isn’t like taking out the trash or washing the dishes.

There are two buttons on the GFCI receptacle. The first is labeled “test” and the other “reset”. Here’s the plan:

• Plug a light into the outlet.
• Press the test button. The light should go out.
• Press the reset button. As you might expect, the light should come back on. If not, it’s malfunctioned or the electrical wiring wasn’t connected properly when installing the GFCI.

That’s all there is to it. Do this monthly when you test your smoke detectors. Or wash those dishes. Whatever.

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