Reading a GFCI outlet tester

Home inspections are just as much about safety as they are learning about a home. Electrical safety is huge, especially around water sources like your kitchen and bathroom sinks. These areas require GFCI (Ground Fault Circut Interrupter) outlets; which are designed to protect from electrical shock. During a home inspection, Butler Home Inspection, LLC makes sure to test all accessible GFCI outlets to assess thier condition at the time of inspection.

When testing to make sure these outlets are operational, inspectors will use a GFCI tester. These testers show how an outlet is wired, which will explain if the outlet is correctly wired or if there is a condition a qualified electrician needs to take a look at it further. It’s good to note that a hot wire brings in the electrical current to the outlet while the neutral returns it.

What kind of readings does a GFCI tester do?

This tester has a legend on it that shows what reading is picked up based on which light combo is shown. In the picture above, the first two lights show up, reading hot & neutral reverse. These testers are not just for GFCI outlets and can be used on other three pronged outlets in the home.

Types of read outs:

• Open ground, which will come up as the middle light.  An open ground is when the electrical wiring is not grounded in the outlet. This can cause electrical shock and for the current to not arc properly.

• Open neutral, shown by the last light only, is when the neutral wiring in the outlet isn’t properly connected. It can pose a shock risk and be as fire hazard as well.

• Open hot, shown if no lights pop up at all, means that the hot wire has no electricity coming into the outlet at all. That wire could be poorly connected or not at all.

• Hot & Ground Reverse, represented by the red and second orange light popping up. It often means that there’s a missing neutral.

• Hot & Neutral Reverse; represented by the first two lights lighting up, are when the hot wire and the neutral wire are switched inside the outlet.

• Correct wiring, represented by the last two lights lighting up, is self explanatory. The outlet is in working order with the correct wiring setup.

As a homeowner, you may be asking “are these big fixes?” These outlet issues more often than not aren’t big repairs. However, they should be done by a qualified electrician to prevent unnecessary shock or injury and to ensure the repairs are done correctly.

If you’re curious about your own outlets in your existing home, you can get these testers online or in any home improvement store for relatively cheap and test the outlets yourself. It’s a great way to routinely check the connections and make sure that they are in working order or if something needs to be addressed.

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