GFCI vs. AFCI: What's the Difference?
Home electrical fires kill roughly 500 Americans every year and cause an estimated $1.3 billion in property damage annually — the exact hazard category AFCI protection targets.
Why you might need both on one circuit
Neither device does the other's job: a GFCI won't catch a dangerous arcing fault, and an AFCI won't catch a shock-risk ground fault. Combination devices (dual-function breakers or receptacles) that provide both protections in a single unit are increasingly common precisely because many circuits need both.
Where each is typically required
GFCI protection concentrates around wet locations — bathrooms, kitchens, outdoors, garages. AFCI protection has expanded across most residential living spaces in newer code cycles, reflecting the fire-risk focus rather than the shock-risk focus of GFCI.
TripTrace focuses on GFCI — see related AFCI context in our News section →