Basement GFCI's or NOT ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Cletis

Senior Member
Location
OH
If a basement is "Sort of" Finished. I mean fully carpeted on floor but walls are cement with curtain over them and they are living in beds and watching tv and stuff down there are GFCI outlets required ?
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Correct that 2020 would require it even if finished:huh:

otherwise it is kind of an AHJ call. Here the (sort of unwritten) rule used to be if you don't use GFCI in such a space you better at least have enough receptacles and have them spaced to comply with 210.52(A). It has been some time since I ran into this and also in a situation where it is to be inspected though, so not sure if that is still how they look at it or not. Sounds like won't matter once 2020 is adopted anyway though.
 
infinity

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Cletis said:
If a basement is "Sort of" Finished. I mean fully carpeted on floor but walls are cement with curtain over them and they are living in beds and watching tv and stuff down there are GFCI outlets required ?
Click to expand...

Not required, yet. If the jurisdiction adopts the 2020 NEC then that will change.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Knuckle Dragger said:
By 2020 standards finished basements will require AFCI/GFCI protection??
Click to expand...

Not exactly a big deal since AFCI is going to be required anyway, just get a dual function breaker and take care of both requirements.

But I still find it stupid they made that change. A finished room with carpet or other non conductive floor is no more shock hazard than if on an upper level. A house on a slab is no different either.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
kwired said:
But I still find it stupid they made that change. A finished room with carpet or other non conductive floor is no more shock hazard than if on an upper level. A house on a slab is no different either.
Click to expand...

I think basements are a little more prone to flooding than other rooms above grade. This may be the reason for required GFCI protection.
 
W

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
I'd consider a switch to a resistance grounded system and everything GFCI protected a worthwhile improvement. But not enough to be required; simply something that should be permitted.
 
ActionDave

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
winnie said:
I'd consider a switch to a resistance grounded system and everything GFCI protected a worthwhile improvement. But not enough to be required; simply something that should be permitted.
Click to expand...

I would be all in favor of a 100% GFPE level of protection. It would be a huge improvement over what we have now and we would all be much safer. I know that it would not provide the same life safety protection as GFCI but it would sniff out almost all ground faults before they became a life safety issue and there would not be the issue of false trips that can happen with GFCI level protection.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
growler said:
I think basements are a little more prone to flooding than other rooms above grade. This may be the reason for required GFCI protection.
Click to expand...

I would be more willing to accept that reason if they had changed 210.8(B)(10) in a similar manner.

House on a slab is also prone to flooding more than one with floors above grade, but then a house in low lying area might be more prone to flooding on any floor than some basements are. I think they are pushing too far with this one no mater what the reason might be, and you know the device makers probably pushed for it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top