What does it do? Why is it needed?
In: Engineering
This video is pretty good at explaining what they are, why they exist, and how they work: https://youtu.be/ILBjnZq0n8s
Those are GFI (Ground fault inhibitor) outlets.
Essentially they have a circuit breaker right there in the outlet. It’s to protect you from electrocution. Usually they’re required when the outlet is near water like in bathrooms and kitchens.
The breaker in the outlet can respond quicker than the main breakers back at the electrical panel in the basement and thus reduce the chance you’ll die!
The reset button is to reconnect the circuit breaker if it has tripped.
They are called GFCIs( Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) . It measures the electrical current leaving the outlet, and compares it to the current coming back. If the is a disparity is more than 1/10 of an amp or so, it turns the outlet off. The test button tests this function, and the reset button resets it after it trips. They are usually located in wet locations, bathrooms, kitchens, or outside, etc. If the current is not returning to the outlet, it is “leaking” out somewhere to ground and is a danger to people.
The outlet may have a fuse built into it to prevent the chance of short circuiting. So if the outlet draws too much current, the fuse trips, disabling the outlet. The reset button just resets the fuse so that you can use the outlet again.
EDIT: Actually, this is to prevent electrocution by detecting current “leaking” from the circuit. If too much current is leaking (the current leaving is not equal to the current coming back), the circuit will trip. The leaking current usually is going to ground, potentially through a person, which is why they exist.
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