[Roca]

I have an older home with no GFI outlets. What is involved in installing them, and how many do I need? Thanks, Roca

[skiberger]

You should have GFCI's in all the baths, kitchen, exterior & garage (if you have one). They aren't hard to install.
Black wire to the brass screws, white to silver and ground to green. You need to know which wire comes from the breaker or the source. That is your "line" any wires that feed off that outlet to other outlets is your "load". You need to wire these correctly in order for them to work properly. You can also install GFCI breakers. They will protect all that is on the circuit.

[Roca]

Thanks, Skiberger, sounds easy enough. What do the GFI outlets actually protect if they are only installed in the kitchen, bath, garage, etc. Would it be expensive to get GFI breakers for all circuits?

[skiberger]

You install GFCI's where ever there will be moisture or water. It protects you from getting zapped. Example.. if your trimming the hedges, you cut the cord, your standing in wet graas. You realize what happened and by accident you come in contact w/ the ends of the cord, good chance at getting zapped. With a GFCI, when installed correctly, as soon as the cord was cut or hit the wet grass, the GFCI outlet or breaker would have cut the electricity preventing any danger. You do not need to install GFCI breakers on all circuits, only the ones mentioned above.

[labman]

Adding detail to a good post. Identify the first outlet in the circuit, usually the closest to the breaker box. It should have an incoming feed cable and a second cable going on the next. A GFCI outlet has terminals marked line and load. If you connect the feed to the GFCI line terminals, then anything connected to the load terminals will be GFCI protected too. Also, I don't think bathroom lights have to be GFCI unless they are over a tub or shower. It certainly will not hurt to be. It won't hurt anything except your pocket book to make everything in the house GFCI.

One advantage of the outlets over the circuit breakers for the less experienced is that inside the breaker box is not the best place for the DIY. Even with the main breaker off, the main feed wires are still exposed and hot, big fat conductors straight out to the transformer on the pole. If you do get into the box, you might update the bedrooms with the now required arc fault breakers for new work.

[Roca]

Thanks much, Skiberger and Labman, I'll now go to Home Depot and get 'em.

Roca

[PalmMP3]

Would it be expensive to get GFI breakers for all circuits?

Whatever you do in the end, just keep in mind that GFCI breakers are more expensive than outlets; outlets cost around $10-$12 each while breakers cost around $30 each.