Who invented GFCI protection?

[kwired]

Very interesting. I have never heard this before. I feel validated in my opinion that GFPE level protection is better than GFCI. I would favor GFPE on almost all circuits, I am not in favor of the huge expansion of GFCI requirements in the last couple of code cycles.



What is it about the US that we come up with safety regulations that are burdensome rather than workable? Is it our court system?

The fear of lawsuits yes. Then comes greed of those making a product that try to promote it as the only safe way to do things is next step on getting things standardized, codified or whatever.

 

[retirede]

1996 NEC. 210-52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets (d) Bathrooms. In dwelling units, at least one wall receptacle outlet shall be installed in bathrooms adjacent to each basin location. Bathroom receptacle outlets shall be supplied by st least one 20-ampere branch circuit. Such circuits shall have no other outlets.

The fact that your house was built in 1997 doesn't mean they had adopted the latest code cycle. For areas that had adopted the 1996 NEC this would have been a code violation.

I wish I had some older code books to see when the change occurred. Maybe someone with a collection of older code books will look it up.

I’m in Illinois. Notorious for late adoption. We’re still on 2008 today.

I want to say we were on the ‘87 code then, but not sure. Could even have been ‘84.

 

[mbrooke]

Is it our court system?

Ahem:

I'd go on a limb and call 5ma a "litigation resistant" threshold.