Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) are an effective means of preventing severe electrical shock. GFCIs are installed to protect areas of the home, such as the kitchen, bathroom or laundry, where electrical appliances or products may come into contact with water.
GFCIs are designed to protect against severe electrical shock or electrocution from ground faults. Ground faults occur when the electrical current in an appliance strays outside its normal path, and the human body becomes part of the path through which the electrical current may flow.
To protect against electrical shock, Siemens GFCIs continuously monitor the difference in current between the hot and neutral conductors. If the electricity going to an outlet equals the current coming back from the outlet, the GFCI is dormant. If the electricity going to an outlet is greater than 5mA than the current coming back from the outlet, the GFCI will open the circuit to stop of flow of electricity.