AFCI/GFCI bulls eye

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I was failed yesterday for no GFCI protection on a garage door opener outlet and also for the water softener(residential). In the past I've always used a bulls eye for this. I cannot find the code to support it. Where is the code?
 
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jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I was failed yesterday for no GFCI protection on a garage door opener outlet and also for the water softener(residential). In the past I've always used a bulls eye for this. I cannot find the code to support it. Where is the code?


What's a bulls eye? a single receptacle?

JAP>
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
What about 210.1 and 210.2? Isn't that telling me I can amend the rules of 210.8?
No, 210.2 does not let you amend the rules in 210.8. 210.2 tells you that the articles listed in Table 210.2 may supplement or amend the rules in Article 210.

The exceptions that had permitted the use of a single receptacle for your application last appeared in the 2005 NEC.
 
No, 210.2 does not let you amend the rules in 210.8. 210.2 tells you that the articles listed in Table 210.2 may supplement or amend the rules in Article 210.

The exceptions that had permitted the use of a single receptacle for your application last appeared in the 2005 NEC.

What if I have a large laundry room, should my washer be AFCI protected?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
So there is no way I can have a freezer in a garage without GFI? There is no way I'd have it that way at my house!
I have run into old two wire cord freezers as well as newer freezers with broken EGC pin in the cord cap in garages or basements that developed a fault to the case - when home occupant approaches barefoot to get something from that freezer it nails them when they touch it - GFCI's do work and serve a purpose. They sometimes do trip during lightning storms or other transient conditions - that is where you use a GFCI made by P&S that has an audible alarm for locations where something like that may be more critical should it lose power from such a trip. They also make freezer monitors that work even if you would lose power altogether and not just because of a tripped GFCI.


If people wouldn't find ways to bypass safety devices they wouldn't have had to make some of the changes they did- like the garage door opener probably really wouldn't need to be GFCI protected - but people find out that outlet doesn't trip when using a faulty item so guess where they choose to plug it in?
 

jeff_dalrymple

New member
Location
Iowa USA
I was failed yesterday for no GFCI protection on a garage door opener outlet and also for the water softener(residential). In the past I've always used a bulls eye for this. I cannot find the code to support it. Where is the code?
My garage passed without GFCI on the garage door openers. No code info, but thought outlets on ceilings didn't require it.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
So there is no way I can have a freezer in a garage without GFI? There is no way I'd have it that way at my house!

Well that makes little sense.

Every 125 volt 15 and 20 amp receptacle in a commercial kitchen must be GFCI protected and they see to get by.

If your freezer trips a GFCI it is time for it to be serviced or replaced.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
My garage passed without GFCI on the garage door openers. No code info, but thought outlets on ceilings didn't require it.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

All 125 volt, 15 and 20 amp receptacles in a dwelling unit garage must be GFCI protected regardless of the mounting location.
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Well that makes little sense.

Every 125 volt 15 and 20 amp receptacle in a commercial kitchen must be GFCI protected and they see to get by.

If your freezer trips a GFCI it is time for it to be serviced or replaced.

But I can see his point. A freezer in a garage is often used for long term storage and may go weeks between openings. An unnoticed GFI trip on the outlet feeding it could cause a big headache and it might not be the freezer that caused it.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
But I can see his point. A freezer in a garage is often used for long term storage and may go weeks between openings. An unnoticed GFI trip on the outlet feeding it could cause a big headache and it might not be the freezer that caused it.
In which case a dedicated circuit or individual GFCI receptacle makes sense. But not a receptacle whose self test opens the circuit on failure.

Or, of course, an alarm and someone always at home.....
 
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