Which side of a GFCI protects
A GFCI receptacle has two pairs of screws. Power comes in on LINE and goes out on LOAD. You plug a broken drill in before, at, and after the GFCI and see which receptacles it protects.
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What to try
- 1On Wired right, set Drill plugged in to After the GFCI and Hand to On the drill. The GFCI sees current missing and shuts off.
- 2Set Drill plugged in to Before the GFCI. Its current never passes through the GFCI, so nothing protects this receptacle.
- 3Pick Next run on LINE. The outdoor receptacle loses its protection, and nothing stops the current through the person.
NEC 2026 sections it covers
- 210.8(B)
- Outdoor receptacles at an office building need GFCI protection.
- 210.8
- The GFCI protection it calls for is Class A.
- 110.3(B)
- Install a listed device the way its instructions say.
- 406.12(D)(3)
- When you replace a receptacle that needs GFCI protection, the new one needs it too.
- 334.12(A)
- NM cable is not allowed in wet or damp places.
- 406.9(B)(1)(d)
- Outdoor receptacles are listed weather-resistant.
- 406.9(B)(1)(a)
- Each outdoor receptacle gets an extra-duty in-use cover.
Section numbers only. Read the full text in your code book. Temperatures and times in the visual are teaching models.
See something wrong? Tell us and we will check it against the code.
Practice it and teach it
- Protection Map simulationProtect a whole house with GFCI and AFCI devices on a budget, and pass the inspector.
- GFCI and AFCI lessonGFCI and AFCI protection (NEC 2026 210.8, 210.12)
More visuals
- Breaker and wirePlug in loads and watch the wire heat up when the breaker is too big for it.
- What a GFCI sensesCurrent goes out and comes back. See what happens when a little goes missing through a person.
- What an AFCI sensesA crushed cord arcs. Watch the shape of the current change, and the breaker count it.