How Electrically-Savvy Are You?
What you don't know about
electricity can be shocking! In
addition to safety issues, a basic
understanding of electricity can
help you select the best electrical
devices for your home and reduce
your energy bill as well. The
Leviton Institute helps you test
your knowledge with the following
true/false quiz on electricity.

1. Dimmers simply absorb
energy from light bulbs and
don’t save you any money.
2. Dimmers cannot be used to
control ceiling fans.
3. GFCIs offer the same protection
that circuit breakers do.
4. A 1200-Watt appliance draws
10 Amps of electrical current.
5. Only a licensed electrician
can test a GFCI.
6. 12-gauge wire is rated to
carry more electrical current
than 14-gauge wire.
7. If a plug keeps falling out of a
receptacle, use pliers to spread
the plug blades farther apart.
8. Surges can enter your electronic
equipment through
phone and cable connections.

Answers
1. False. Dimmers don't absorb
power. They control the amount
of time a bulb is on and off 120
times a second, but your eye can't
see this. A dim setting limits the
time the bulb is on. A bulb
dimmed to 50% uses approximately
25% less power and lasts
approximately 20 times longer,
saving both on lighting energy
and bulb replacement costs.
2. True. Dimmers can damage
fan motors. Only fan speed control
units can be used with ceiling
fans. They are usually available
with the same styling and features
as dimmers but are safe for fan
motors.
3. False. Circuit breakers are
designed to trip when a severe
short causes high levels of electrical
current to flow through your
wires. GFCIs provide protection
from ground fault. This can occur
when current leaking from a damaged
appliance travels to ground
through a person touching the
appliance. Ground fault current
can be lethal, but is typically not
high enough to trip a breaker. A
GFCI is designed to trip when it
senses a relatively tiny amount of
ground fault current.
4. True. Light bulbs and appliances
are rated in Watts, while
electrical wiring is rated in Amps.
Divide the Watts by 120 (the
household voltage) to arrive at
the amperage rating. In this case,
1200 Watts divided by 120 Volts
equals 10 Amps.
5. False. Using a simple procedure
you should test your GFCIs
monthly. Plug a lamp into the
GFCI and turn it on. Press the
Test button—the GFCI should
trip causing the light to go off.
Press the Reset button on the
GFCI and the lamp should go
on again. This confirms that the
GFCI is working properly. If the
GFCI does not trip (shut off the
light) when you press the Test
button, there is an electrical
problem and you should contact
a licensed electrician.
6. True. The larger the diameter
of wire, the more electrical current
it can carry. What is sometimes
confusing is that the larger the
diameter, the smaller the wire
gauge. For example, 14-gauge wire
is rated for small electrical tools
and appliances, but larger power
tools require 12-gauge wire.
7. False. When a receptacle no
longer holds a plug firmly in
place, the half-inserted, live plug
is a serious shock hazard, especially
for children. When a receptacle
is old or worn out by
excessive use, its contacts no
longer properly grip a plug. Any
receptacle in this condition must
be replaced.
8. True. Surges that can damage
your PC, television, video recorder
and answering machine can enter
through phone, data line and
cable connections. Use surge protective
power strips that not only
provide the maximum amount of
powerline protection, but also
offer protection for phone, data
and cable lines. These multi-purpose
surge strips are available in
home centers, electronic stores
and a variety of retail outlets.