That cheap GFCI I installed 2 years ago just saved my basement from a flood

I was skeptical about spending extra on those diagnostic GFCI outlets for the sump pump circuit, but after finding one tripped due to a tiny nick in the wire insulation during a storm last night, I'm a believer. The water never even got a chance to rise because the outlet caught the fault before the pump could short out. Has anyone else had a cheap component fail in a way that cost them more in the long run?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jake11d ago

Man I learned this lesson the hard way with a cheap water heater pan. Paid like 12 bucks for it instead of the good one, and the rust hole it developed cost me a full basement carpet replacement and a month of dehumidifier bills. Guess who's now the proud owner of a fancy stainless steel pan that cost more than my first car? At least your GFCI actually did its job. Mine just sat there looking cheap while my basement turned into a swimming pool.

emma_baker6111d ago

Wish they'd put the GFCI on a leak alarm too, saves the race to find the drip before it floods lol.

wilson.olivia11d ago

@emma_baker61 Same here. Mine tripped and I spent an hour hunting the leak in a crawlspace.