120v 120v Kilns Circuit Breakers Electrical Current Electrical Kilns GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Kiln Circuits kiln-buying outlet

Ooh, What Does This Button Do?

 This falls under the category of "Why should I care about this electrical stuff?" Here's your reason. Your beloved kiln, or oven, or furnace, or whatever you call that thing that enables you to do what you do, most likely runs on electricity. (Unless you have a gas kiln, then you can probably scroll on by but seriously, this is interesting stuff... so read on!) If you have a 120V kiln that runs on regular household power, or frankly any household appliance, and have found yourself going, "Ooh, what does this button do?", knowing this little tidbit of information makes you one smart person. It's definitely the difference between electrically savvy and no so informed. We know you want to err on the side of being the smart one in the conversation, so read on and learn the good stuff about what makes the stuff in your walls work.

If you ever encounter a dead outlet, one of the first things you should check for is a tripped GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter). Identifiable by the (usually) red and black buttons on the outlet plate, GFCI outlets help prevent (or reduce the risk of) electrical accidents, such as shocks, electrocution, and fire.

Unlike a circuit breaker which breaks the circuit when there is a current overload, a GFCI outlet interrupts the circuit when there is a current leak. The purpose of a GFCI outlet is to provide ground fault protection by monitoring for abnormalities between outbound and inbound electrical current flow within the outlet and cutting power instantly upon detection of a ground fault. When the circuit is broken, the RESET button pops out, and electrical current stops flowing from the outlet into any plugged-in device.

This fail-safe mechanism is designed to reduce the likelihood of ground fault and electrocution if a plugged-in device comes into contact with water (or other liquids) by stopping power flow within milliseconds of detection. That is why these types of outlets often are placed in areas that are prone to liquid contact or wet surfaces, such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements, garages, pools and pool areas, and house exteriors. They can also help to prevent electrical fires or damage to appliances due to faulty circuits and wiring.

Restoring power is as simple as pressing a button – the RESET button to be exact. The inventor of the GFCI, Charles Dalziel, decided to create an easy way of repairing the outlet by adding a RESET button which, when pressed, reconnects the circuit and restores power flow. The TEST button was added later to the GFCI design to help verify whether the protective feature of the outlet was working properly. If the TEST button is pressed, power should not be emitted by the outlet and any plugged-in devices should not operate. Otherwise, the GFCI may need to be repaired, or there may be faulty wiring in the circuit.

 

Photo Credit: Pamela Au / Shutterstock.com

Credit: Thomas Net

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