FAQs

GFCI

Why do I need GFCI outlets?

GFCI is an acronym for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, also called a GFI or Ground Fault Interrupter. It is often installed near water sources, such as a kitchen sink or bathroom sink. It is a circuit breaker that gets tripped if water infiltrates it. It is designed to protect you from electrocution or electrical burn and shock injuries should water accidentally cause a short-circuit. Building codes require GFCI outlets to be installed near kitchen sinks and in bathrooms amongst other places, such as:
  • Garages
  • Crawl spaces
  • Unfinished basements
  • Wet bars
  • Laundry
  • Pools (in-ground and above-ground)
  • GFCIs are also recommended wherever electric garden equipment or electric tools are used.
A GFCI is an inexpensive receptacle that has two buttons located between the two sockets on an outlet. One is a test button the other is a reset button. The reset button is red, white or beige and the test button can be black, blue, beige or white. The color is not important as each button is labeled as TEST or RESET.

GFCI receptacles are required in new construction, but can, and should, be added to homes that were built prior to the building code requirement. In 1968, the NEC (National Electrical Code) began requiring GFCI receptacles for underwater pool lighting and has added requirements throughout the decades to include installation wherever water may be present when electricity is used:
  • Outdoors (required since 1973)
  • Bathrooms (1975)
  • Garages (1978)
  • Kitchens (1987)
  • Crawl spaces or unfinished basements (1990)
  • Wet bars or sinks (1993)
  • Laundry (2005)
  • GFCIs are also recommended wherever electric garden equipment or electric tools are used.

My bathroom outlet with the test/reset button isn't working. Do I need to call an electrician to repair it?

Most likely no. More often than not, you just need to reset the GFCI outlet.
  1. To reset, unplug or turn off any appliance that is on the GFCI circuit
  2. Locate the receptacle
  3. Push in the tripped RESET button
  4. Plug in or turn on an appliance to make sure the circuit has been reset
If the GFCI continues to trip, then call an electrician (hopefully me!) as there may be a more serious problem with the wiring.

Heat Cables, aka Ice Melt Cables

I get ice dams on my roof every snow storm. Should I install ice melt cables?

Ice dams on roofs usually indicate that your attic may be inadequately ventilated and/or inadequately insulated. Contact Mass Save to get a FREE energy audit. The solutions they offer are often very affordable. By doing all the things Mass Save suggests, you may very likely solve your ice dam issue as well as save money on heating your home.

That said, sometimes even after insulating your house properly, you may still get ice dams. Then it's a matter of whether or not you want to investigate whether there is proper ventilation in your attic. If an attic is properly insulated, but poorly ventilated, ice dams may continue to occur. If this is the case, correcting the ventilation issue may or may not be more cost effective than installing ice melt cables. You will have to do your homework (get some quotes) to make an informed decision.

Properly installed, quality ice melt cables such as the kind Sean Keefe Electrician installs will last many years. You will not have to do any structural work to your house. In contrast, correcting ventilation issues often requires structural work to be done on your house.

Ice melt cables can be installed within a few hours after we set up an installation appointment. Insulation corrections will take a few hours to get completed after you first complete the Mass Save audit and then coordinate for the ventilation installation appointment. Depending on the severity of your ventilation issues, ventilation corrections will take a few hours or a few days.

Ultimately, the choice is dependent on your time, budget, and urgency. There is no wrong answer…EXCEPT to do nothing.