50 AMP PRESSURE WASHER NO GFI IN THE CORD

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jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I have a customer that has a power washer that does not have gfi protection in the cord.
It has a cord coming from an on off switch then to a thermally protected 5 hp 230 volt motor and another 1 hp 230v motor for something else. Deisel fuel is used for the burner.

Originally the cord was hardwired into a box with no disconnnect or male cap.

Is it up to me to install a 50 amp gfi protected outlet or is it up to them to get a new pressure washer with the correct GFI protections?
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
The NEC does not require a GFCI for 50 amp 230 volt receptacles.

So if an electrician was to put the male cord cap on the cord of the power washer to match the 50a 230v Receptacle , who assumes liability for the GFI protection that is not on the cord of the power washer since the power washer was made before the requirement of the GFI?
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
422.49 High-Pressure Spray Washers. Cord-and plug connected
high-pressure spray washing machines as specified
in 422.49(1) or (2) shall be provided with factory installed
ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for
personnel that is an integral part of the attachment plug or
that is located in the supply cord within 300 mm (12 in.) of
the attachment plug.
(1) All single-phase equipment rated 250 volts or less
(2) All . 3-phase equipment rated 208Y 1120 volts and
60 amperes or less

Is this 230V single phase?

it appears to me that the code would require it to be factory installed in any case.
 
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qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
Location
Roanoke, VA.
Occupation
Sorta retired........
Is this 230V single phase?

it appears to me that the code would require it to be factory installed in any case.

Could have been manufactured before the GFI requirement come about.
But if you put a plug on it I would say it needs to be GFI protected.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Could have been manufactured before the GFI requirement come about.
But if you put a plug on it I would say it needs to be GFI protected.

I dont see any requirement for an electrician to provide a GFCI and furthermore adding into the existing machine might be viewed as a listing issue.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I dont see any requirement for an electrician to provide a GFCI and furthermore adding into the existing machine might be viewed as a listing issue.

might be that the manufacturer has an answer to this problem. they may well sell replacement cords with the GFCI built in.

ETA: I went to a web site that sells pressure washers. It appears many of their pressure washers come with a cord w/o attachment plug and no GFCI. I sent them an email and asked how they meet the NEC requirement for factory installed GFCI protection if it is not supplied with the unit. I wonder what kind of response I will get.
 
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iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I got the impression from the OP that he was planning to somehow "fix" this perceived problem one way or the other. Might as well fix it the right way.


I was under the impression that the OP believed he was required to add a GFCI.

I don't see a problem that needs fixing.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I got the impression from the OP that he was planning to somehow "fix" this perceived problem one way or the other. Might as well fix it the right way.

I don't know if this is a perceived problem or not. The power washer is 240v single phase and did not come from the factory with GFI protection in the cord. It is an older unit.
The cord was brought directly to a junction box with a 50a 240v 1ph circuit originally (No Male Cap, Non portable). Now I'm involved. They want to be able to unplug it to move it around. Not sure if I'M required to install GFI Protection for it or not.

Jap>
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
I really don't understand why this and some similar rules are even in the code. The code does not apply to the manufacturer and I fail to see how a cord and plug connected portable device is "installed". This is something that should be addressed in the product standard and not in the NEC.

That being said, apparently there was a safety issue with pressure washers that resulted in the GFCI requirement.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I really don't understand why this and some similar rules are even in the code. The code does not apply to the manufacturer and I fail to see how a cord and plug connected portable device is "installed". This is something that should be addressed in the product standard and not in the NEC.

That being said, apparently there was a safety issue with pressure washers that resulted in the GFCI requirement.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, if an electrician is asked to put in a 50a Receptacle in for a power washer (which does not require GFI protection) I'm fine with that.
But, If putting the male cord end on the existing cord of the power washer is going to violate any type of GFI Requirements (Since it doesn't have any), I'll stop at the receptacle.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Can someone please help me come to an end on this.... the code section seems to imply that the GFCI is only required if it is cord "and Plug" connected.
does that mean that if it is "Flexed In" there is no GFI Requirement to be met?

They are considering not making the Pressure washer "Portable" just having it hard wired into a disconnect without the Receptacle and Plug.

Not sure why the rules would be different in the GFI requirement between "Cord and Plug" wiring and "Hard wired" unless it had something to do with protecting the individual as they were going to unplug the unit from the wall,,, other wise I don't see the difference ?

Thank You,

JAP>
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Can someone please help me come to an end on this.... the code section seems to imply that the GFCI is only required if it is cord "and Plug" connected.
does that mean that if it is "Flexed In" there is no GFI Requirement to be met?

They are considering not making the Pressure washer "Portable" just having it hard wired into a disconnect without the Receptacle and Plug.

Not sure why the rules would be different in the GFI requirement between "Cord and Plug" wiring and "Hard wired" unless it had something to do with protecting the individual as they were going to unplug the unit from the wall,,, other wise I don't see the difference ?

Thank You,

JAP>
Many of the GFCI rules apply to cord and plug connected equipment because it is more likely that the EGC connection to the equipment could be comprised than when the equipment is hard wired.

Remember that the GFCI does not prevent shocks, it only limits the duration of the shock. A code compliant EGC limits the shock to the voltage drop on the EGC. In many cases this drop is well below 40 volts.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
So Gfi protection is not required if the pressure washer is hardwired?
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
So Gfi protection is not required if the pressure washer is hardwired?

That would appear to be the case.

A pretty good argument can be made that it could not be made with cord though.

It is unclear to me just how one could legally connect up a pressure washer that came with a cord but no plug.
 
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