why do people put GFCI receptacles all over the place [Music]
so GFCI protection is something in code it was something that was developed a long time ago but
the expansion of where it's required is like ever expanding with each new code cycle so if you're
in a house for instance there's a whole bunch of places where you have to have ground fault circuit
interrupter protection GFCI protection there's a thing called GFI protection too ground fault
interrupter but a ground fault circuit interrupter is more specifically either a breaker or it's a
receptacle that if there is a ground fault meaning if a hot conductor touches something
metal around electrical equipment that's what we call a ground fault and it's faulted to ground
on the ground conductor where the equipment grounding conductor they're actually called
GFCI devices for personnel for its protection for personnel for people so if somebody's standing in
like a puddle of water and they go to try to plug something in there's a higher risk of them getting
seriously injured so this device is something that very very quickly within milliseconds boom
is able to disconnect the incoming conductors that are going to the receptacle and separate
them for that outgoing conductors or from the actual load side of the device itself [Music]
so what does code actually say about putting GFCI receptacles in now there's a lot of
different parts of uh code you got to realize it depends on what environment you're in so the way
that the NEC is laid out is it separates based off of like if you're in a dwelling unit where
people are living because they're going to be using the space way differently than people
that are in like a bank conducting Commerce doing business so we're going to be in 210.8
ground fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel now one thing to notice with gfcis is
its receptacles it's places where people are plugging in and taking things out it's
not light switches there is one place in here where that talks about it actually in a crawl
space lighting outlet but most gsci protection is not for lighting because lighting is way up
there we're way down here and we're not going to be like likely energizing something while
standing in some water and a ground fault occur from something that's up there so it's usually
something we're plugging in and we're using and unplugging so what does it say 210.8 ground fault
circuit interrupted protection Class A GFCI shall be protected in accordance with 210.8 a through f
so a specifically is dwelling units that's anywhere you dwell where you live
um so that's really what we're going to focus on for this because most people are watching this
right now are either electricians or homeowners they're trying to figure out where they need to
put in gfis for an inspection So within dwelling units specifically it says all 125 volt through
250 volt receptacles installed in the following locations and supplied by single phase Branch
circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground shall have ground fault circuit interrupted protection
for personnel so receptacles not lighting but also not the entire branch circuit it says all 125
through 250 volt receptacles in these locations so just keep that in mind when we start talking
about arc fault protection we're talking about the entire branch circuit we're not talking about the
receptacle that's why I bring that up because a lot of people get confused with GFCI and afci
and it's like don't the don't doesn't the whole circuit have to be protected if it's GFCI it's
like no it's the point of contact that somebody might actually introduce their finger into a
prong while they're plugging something in so what it says for dwelling units we've got receptacles
in bathrooms number two receptacles in 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 so places people are probably going to be plugging extension cords
in and stuff that's not like actual a room where somebody's living next number three is
receptacles Outdoors so anything outdoors water rain obvious everything outdoors receptacles in
crawl spaces at or below grade level so crawl spaces typically not the same thing as like a
basement or something like that it's usually just a small little space that might have moisture
might have some like wetness dampness might be like puddles and then if somebody's crawling
through there there needs to be protection because of that moisture and it's specifically at or below
grade right where water is going to either rest or it's going to find its way down into
um receptacles in basements number five so same kind of thing basements collect water
so any receptacles in basements have to be GFCI protected uh receptacles in kitchens now it's
not just specific to counter top receptacles it's all receptacles in kitchens receptacles
in areas with sinks and permanent Provisions for food preparation beverage preparation or
cooking so basically they just kind of expanded the language of what a kitchen is because people
would have like large houses like we would do a lot of huge Custom Homes where they have like
a Butler's pantry and then they have like a prep area and then they have you know like a
Butler's kitchen or a bar or all these different things that were like well it's kind of close to
the kitchen like it shares the same space as the kitchen so is it still the kitchen there's
still appliances there's still stuff to make food so they just kind of expanded the area
so it's anything with permanent Provisions for food prep beverage prep or cooking then there's
receptacles near sinks specifically and number eight we're receptacles are installed within six
feet from the top inside edge of the bowl of the sink so any areas that are not kitchens if you
have like a mop sink somewhere well I guess the mop I mean a mop sinks still like sink but like
some people put sinks in weird places and and so it might be like a utility room well a utility
room you still have to have GFCI protection which we'll get into here in a second and 11.
I guess if you're just being weird and you put sinks in weird places you just have to
read GFCI protect those receptacles uh number nine receptacles in boat houses obviously you're
right next to the water number 10 receptacles in bathtubs or shower stalls where receptacles are
installed within six feet of the outside edge of the bathtub or the shower stalls somebody could
step outside of that tub and be soaking wet and trying to plug and unplug stuff I mean I guess
I've done it like old radios and stuff I don't know but it's for dummies like me uh number 11
laundry areas same thing wash machine leak water wet clothes water um any receptacles that are in
laundry areas and then number 12 uh indoor damp and wet locations so it kind of covers anything
else and that's going to be up to the either the jurisdiction of the ahj of like who's inspecting
whether or not that really gets um looked at like if anybody notices that or a homeowner bucking
back against it because a lot of homeowners are going to do that they want most people want less
GFCI protection because it's just annoying to have GFCI receptacles trip all of the time but
like if you consider an indoor damp location like a mud room could be a damp location because it's
the first room in the house and if there's like snow and stuff and you guys have been out like
playing and doing you know crazy stuff out in the country and you trudge in a whole bunch
of mud and water from snowboarding or whatever like okay now it's a damp environment you know
but it's not always a damp environment so all right so now those are the areas that code for
dwelling units for any kind of dwelling unit for a duplex for a single family house for a
multi-family house that's anything you can live in or dwell in there are a couple of exceptions
to this so exception number one receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a
branch circuit dedicated to Electric snow melting de-icing or Pipeline and vessel heating equipment
shall be permitted to be installed differently exception number two a receptacle supplying
only a permanently installed premises security system shall be permitted to Omit ground fault
circuit interrupter protection because if you have a security system you don't just want like a GFCI
receptacle to trip and then your whole security system goes out it's like you have to evaluate the
risk versus the liability for that one exception number three listed weight supporting ceiling
receptacles utilizing combination with compatible weight supporting attached fittings installed for
the purpose of supporting a ceiling Luminaire or ceiling suspended fan chubby permit to omit
the ground fault circuit interrupter protection and then exception number four factory installed
receptacles that are not readily accessible and are mounted internally to bathroom exhaust fan
assemblies shall not require GFCI protection unless required by the installation of its
constructions or listing so this is a funny one but inside of most event fans you're in
a bathroom when you open them up you're going to see a two-prong receptacle and it's like the the
motor has this tiny little cord with a receptacle on it because the motor can actually be changed
out from the housing so the housing stays up there it's got this little receptacle and you take this
piece of metal out with the receptacle and there's wires on the back of it and that's how we wire our
wires into the back side of that receptacle we put the receptacle in place and then the motor
can stick up inside of that thing and if it's ever crappy you just unplug it pull the motor out put a
new motor in so that little receptacle became an issue with some people some inspectors out there
being like well it's in a bathroom so it says that it needs to be gsti protected it's a receptacle
somebody might get hurt no nobody's no he is going to get hurt on a vet fan in a bathroom like
I suppose if it's a if it's a really short room and you could reach up there and pull it down
and be working on an event fan with water on the ground with it being live and the breakers
on you're doing all kinds of stupid this is something that shouldn't need to be in here this
is silliness that fan is technically an appliance or a piece of equipment it should just have a
breaker or a disconnecting means you shut it off just like any other thing and work on it you're
not like nobody's taking the cover off their fan and like unplugging things while standing
most bathrooms like eight nine feet tall like who's tall enough to do that I just don't get it
but I had an inspector fail me on a rough inspection because of that they're like
well even though this is a 10 foot ceiling in this bathroom somebody could just come in
contact with that I'm like what it was like when people leave the the covers off of their fans a
lot I'm like yeah but it's 10 feet in the air I can't even jump that high to try to touch that
doesn't matter enough people have said that it's a concern that it got put in here so and we're not
going to look at Part B other than dwelling units other than dwelling units is like everything else
they're non-dwelling units or other than dwelling units now uh some things that also other than the
other than dwelling units and other than just in receptacles they have part C of 210.8 crawl space
lighting Outlets these are the only mention that they make of lighting outlets at all but I mean
again like it's probably more that you're in this damp or possibly wet environment crawling around
so like everything around you should be GFCI protected um there's specific appliances that
have to be GFCI protected but most of these are commercial things like non-dwellings but
you do have dishwashers have to be GFCI protected electric ranges wall mounted ovens counter mounted
cooking units clothes dryers and microwave ovens so they're very specific now in which appliances
have to be GFCI protect and the reason for that is because before we said kitchens that's just
receptacles and kitchens what if we have things that are direct wired or what if we have things
that are not 120 volt you know receptacles they're 250 volt receptacles so anyways they put specific
appliances to make sure that you get those appliances GFCI protected then we have E Equipment
requiring servicing it says GFCI protection shall be provided for the receptacles required by 210.63
210.63 equipment requiring servicing a 125 volt single phase 15 or 20 amp rated receptacle Outlet
shall be installed in an accessible location within 25 feet of the equipment as specified
in 210.63 A and B so these are called service receptacles it basically if you're in an attic
somewhere if you're you know outside there's air conditioning equipment you have to have a service
receptacle so if a technician has to come up and mess with that equipment that within 25 feet of
it you've got some kind of receptacle to work on that equipment this is just saying that that
receptacle has to be GFCI protected all those receptacles and then lastly a little bit more
specifically for dwellings they say for dwellings all outdoor Outlets other than those covered in
210.aa exception number one including Outlets installed in the following locations and supplied
by a single phase Branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to Ground 50 amps or less shall be
provided with GFCI protection number one garages that have floors located at or below grade level
number two accessory buildings and number three boat houses if equipment supplied by an outlet
covered under the requirements of this section is replaced the outlet shall be supplied with GFCI
protection exception number one GFCI protection shall not be required on lighting Outlets other
than those covered in 210.8c for the crawl spaces and then exception number two GFCI protection
shall not be required for listed HVAC equipment this exception shall expire September 1st of 2026
so now we're gonna have to put air conditioners on GFCI protection in 2026 get ready for that
so thank you guys so much for your attention love you crazy people I'll see in the next one