Mysteries and Mayhem #1:- The mysterious garage light

[LVSteve]

My apologies to the band Kansas for making free with one of their song titles, but it accurately describes the way things are going.

So this week I stepped out into the garage to retrieve something from the garage fridge. Now, I have what some consider odd habits regarding turning on lights. If I don't absolutely need a light to see what I'm doing, the light stays off. Stepping out to the fridge right be the garage door qualifies.

Grabbed what I wanted from the fridge, closed its door and turned around to see light reflecting off something. WTH, what is the source of the light? I moved about the garage and found the light was coming from GFCI socket on the rear wall.

Yep, the GFCI has a light in it that is turned on and off by a photocell. It doesn't cast a lot of light, it is more an indicator of the location of the GFCI. Two questions arise:-

1) Why would a GFCI be fitted with a location light;

2) How the heck have we not noticed this before in EIGHT YEARS of living here.

 

[lihpster]

1. So you can find it.
2. There was a spider in front of it. Big sucker.

 

[Greyman50]

Some are used in bathrooms so one can “ see” enough to get to do their business at night.

 

[bullmack]

We had a hall ceiling light on a 3-way switch that was occasionally flickering - even with the switch off. When we investigated we found that we had installed an LED bulb in it that had a built in battery backup. Huh - I don't remember installing this type of bulb or, for that matter, that they even existed. Either the battery or sensor was dying.

 

[WR Moore]

OK, some GFCI receptacles have a light on them to show the circuit is live. However, they're generally not bright enough to reflect off anything. At least the only example I own isn't. The "here I am" idea might be something, but having it light up when it trips would be more useful.

Why didn't you see it? You weren't looking in that direction, you were in a hurry/wasn't dark enough, something blocked it???

 

[LVSteve]

OK, some GFCI receptacles have a light on them to show the circuit is live. However, they're generally not bright enough to reflect off anything. At least the only example I own isn't. The "here I am" idea might be something, but having it light up when it trips would be more useful.

Why didn't you see it? You weren't looking in that direction, you were in a hurry/wasn't dark enough, something blocked it???

There is a red light to show when it has tripped/ Why it has this white LED (?) panel I have no clue. It isn't really enough to qualify as a night light.

 

[swsig]

How the heck have we not noticed this before in EIGHT YEARS of living here.

You've been overusing your garage light, and it's been washing out the view of the GFCI light. If you're going to continue to overuse your garage light, you can still save electricity by removing the refrigerator light bulb.

 

[SMSgt]

No one is more blind than those who will not see--GFCI lights.