What is the role of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)?

The role of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is to detect ground faults and prevent electrical shock. A ground fault occurs when electricity finds an unintended path to the ground, which can happen if a person comes into contact with a live current. The GFCI continuously monitors the current flowing through the hot and neutral wires. If it detects an imbalance, indicating that some of the current is leaking to ground, it reacts by cutting off the power almost instantaneously. This rapid response is crucial in preventing serious electric shock or even fatal accidents, particularly in wet environments like bathrooms or kitchens where the risk of accidental contact with electricity is higher.

In contrast, maintaining circuit integrity, increasing current flow, and measuring resistance involve different functionalities not related to the primary safety purpose of a GFCI. Maintaining circuit integrity pertains to the reliability and performance of the electrical system itself, while increasing current flow is about enhancing the current supplied to an electrical circuit, and measuring resistance pertains to evaluating how much a material opposes the flow of electric current. None of these functions address the critical safety feature that GFCIs provide against ground faults.