dRINKING fOUNTAINS AND vENDING MACHINES

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In the 2008 code it says that drinking fountains and vending machines have to be protected by either an inline GFCI or a GFCI receptacle. Does this apply to existing equipment or is it just for new installations
 

Dennis Alwon

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Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
In the 2008 code it says that drinking fountains and vending machines have to be protected by either an inline GFCI or a GFCI receptacle. Does this apply to existing equipment or is it just for new installations

Here is what the code states so I would say that older machine in a new installation must be GFCI proteceted but if the machine was manufacturered after Jan. 1 , 2005 it should be built into the cord. Now if the outlet is outside then yes it also must have GFCI protection.

422.51 Cord-and-Plug-Connected Vending Machines.
Cord-and-plug-connected vending machines manufactured or re-manufactured on or after January 1, 2005, shall include a ground-fault circuit interrupter as an integral part of the attachment plug or be located within 300 mm (12 in.) of the attachment plug. Older vending machines manufactured or remanufactured prior to January 1, 2005, shall be connected to a GFCI-protected outlet. For the purpose of this section, the term vending machine means any self-service device that dispenses products or merchandise without the necessity of replenishing the device between each vending operation and is designed to require insertion of a coin, paper currency, token, card, key, or receipt of payment by other means.
 

cpal

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MA
If your equiment is existing and you notice on review that it is not gfci protected the Code in general is retroactive.
Are the existing machine(s) being relocated or is new circuitry being installed to accomadate them?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
If your equiment is existing and you notice on review that it is not gfci protected the Code in general is retroactive.
Are the existing machine(s) being relocated or is new circuitry being installed to accomadate them?

If you are not moving the machines and they are existing how can the NEC be retroactive.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
With that new code out there do you really want to risk the chance of a shock ? A lawyer would have a picnic with this.
It's existing. Sure the company that owns those machines may want to insist on it but the NEC does not require it. Of course it would be smart to protect them to the new code but can you imagine changing every thing that was acceptable years ago to today's Code. I guess it would solve the unemployment problem. :D
 
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