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TOPIC: GFCI under sink and by washer

Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26908

No needd to be fuzzy:)  Jay is simply stating it is NEVER a good idea to have a frig GFCI protected.

BTW, all garage outlets should be GFCI protected except above 6'8", laundry outlets, central vac outlets, etc...

I believe that is what Dougs original question was about.  Not every outlet in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, etc. needs to be GFCI protected....

Live from Inspection World 2010....

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Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26913

No needd to be fuzzy:)  Jay is simply stating it is NEVER a good idea to have a frig GFCI protected.

BTW, all garage outlets should be GFCI protected except above 6'8", laundry outlets, central vac outlets, etc...

I believe that is what Dougs original question was about.  Not every outlet in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, etc. needs to be GFCI protected....

Live from Inspection World 2010....


I am having a hard time finding any references in the NEC that indicate it is ok to have a lack of GFCI protection the areas you listed.  Can you help point to the specific exceptions in the IRC or NEC that allow for no GFCI at these locations?

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Bruce Ramsey, ACI

Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26915

Sorry for the confusion.  Of course newer garages are GFI protected.  I am merely stating that it is not a good idea to plug a fridge or freezer into a GFI-protected outlet, no matter where it might be.

Some builders are putting dedicated circuit outlets into the garage especially for freezers and fridges so they are not on the GFI circuit and therefore not accidentally tripped.  I have seen them labeled "Freezer."

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly

Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26921

Sorry for the confusion.  Of course newer garages are GFI protected.  I am merely stating that it is not a good idea to plug a fridge or freezer into a GFI-protected outlet, no matter where it might be.

Some builders are putting dedicated circuit outlets into the garage especially for freezers and fridges so they are not on the GFI circuit and therefore not accidentally tripped.  I have seen them labeled "Freezer."


I have too have seen circuits in newer home garages labled "Freezer" without GFCI protection.  There is no exception in the NEC or IRC to allow dedicated circuits in garages to be without GFCI protection. 

I understand your concern about potential "nuance" tripping.  Unfortunately the code bodies do not agree with your concern.

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Bruce Ramsey, ACI

Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26925

From my NEC literature (actually it's a cd, but I am an old guy and still call things literature):

210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter Protection.

(A)Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in (1) through (8) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.

(1)  Bathrooms

(2)  Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use.

Exception No. 1: Receptacles not readily accessible.

Exception No. 2: A single receptacle or a duplex receptacle for two appliances that, in normal use, is not easily moved from one place to another and that is cord-and-plug connected in accordance with 400.7(A)(6), (A)(7), or (A)(8).
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That is how the builders, around here anyway, are getting around the GFI codes with dedicated circuitry.  The first time I saw it I actually called my county inspector guy and he said it was acceptable.  He said a full freezer or fridge is "not easily moved."

Oh, I am not sure why an outlet that is "not readily accessible" would be installed anywhere!  I guess they mean over high cabinets or something like that.  Like in a garage, for work shop lighting, etc.

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly

Re: GFCI under sink and by washer 14 years 11 months ago #26927

Thanks for the pointer.  According to the 2008 NEC Article 100 Definitions:

Acessible, Readily (Readily Accessible).  Capable of being reached quickly for operation, renewal, or inspections without requiring those to whom ready access is requisite to climb over or remove obstacles or to resort to portable ladders, and so forth.

210.8 has apparently changed since whatever version you may have on CD.  According to 2008 NEC

(A)Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in (1) through (8) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.

(1) Bathrooms

(2) Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use

(3) Outdoors

Exception to (3): Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a dedicated branch circuit for electric snow-melting or deicing equipment shall be permited to be installed in accorance with 426.28.

(4)Crawl spaces -- at or below grade level

(5)Unfinished basements - for purposes of this section, unfinished basements are defined as portions or areas of the basement not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and the like.

Exception to (5): A receptacle supplying only a permantently installed fire alarm or burglar alarm system shall not be required to have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection.

(6) Kitchens - where receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces.

(7) Laundry, utility, and wet bar sinks - where the receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6ft) of the outside edge of the sink

(8) Boathouses

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The exception is referrring to Outdoors.  Since the NEC specifies garages under  a seperate number, then the exception for dedicated receptacles that are not readily accessible would not apply to fridge/freezers in garages. 

GFCI is required over kitchen countertops but not elsewhere in the kitchen.  So the fridge in the kitchen does not require a GFCI unless it is getting power from a countertop receptacle.

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Bruce Ramsey, ACI
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