Garage door GFI
- Thread starter Jesse36
- Start date
- Status
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
No, I have not had any nuissance tripping. So far...
If your concerened about it. You could use a gfci breaker.
Or tell the home owner to keep handy an 8' long 2x2 with a nail pointing out the end of it,
If your concerened about it. You could use a gfci breaker.
Or tell the home owner to keep handy an 8' long 2x2 with a nail pointing out the end of it,
dwellselectric
Inactive, Email Never Verified
- Location
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
I always put the garage doors on the same circuit as a plug in the garage so if it does trip the gfci is right there and easy to get to
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
When you guys adopt the 2011 you will have to install the gfci somewhere accessible.
Hendrix
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Sound like that wont be till 2014
GlennG
Member
- Location
- Hicksville, NY
you can also install a dead front gfci on the wall of the garage, that would make it a little more convenient for you as the electrician to service, and for the homeowner.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
I use Levinton, but there are others that wont trip with motor loads, just avoid those cheep ones from Menards.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Accessible or readily accessible? Didn't they already need to be accessible before 2011?
Rick Christopherson
Senior Member
That's an interesting idea. I have always thought this was a ridiculous change to the 08 code, considering the height of the outlet, the opener is rarely unplugged, and rarely missing the ground prong.
A tripped GFI is no big deal when you're inside the house, but if you are a school kid coming home and your only way into the locked house is the garage door code, it can be a much bigger issue. However, if you had a deadfront GFCI in a proper weather proof location outside the garage, at least it could still be reset.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I should have written readily accessible-- thanks.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
That's a great suggestion for an upsell.
GlennG
Member
- Location
- Hicksville, NY
Thats an interesting point you make, although i don't know of too many school kids who would think to reset a GFCI when the garage door doesn't work, but you never know. My thought was that if you have a tripped GFCI and a car parked underneath it, its gonna be quite a hassle to deal with.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
pull manual release, open door, move car out of the way.
I have had to do this for more than just a tripped GFCI. Door openers are prone to failures just like anything else.
Most service calls I receive for door opener problems end up being the door moving too hard and protective features of the opener are just doing what they are supposed to do. Especially in cold weather.
Rick Christopherson
Senior Member
That's probably true, but if so, fix the direct problem, not the ancillary one. Require more outlets in the garage so people are not forced to use an extension cord to reach an out of reach outlet.
However, if that was the sole reason behind the change ($$$) then it would still be permitted to use a single (non-duplex) receptacle for the door opener without requiring gfci.
If there is close to a million homes built each year and nearly all of them have 1 maybe 2 door openers; how many new gfci devices are added just for the doors? That's a lot of money, and it paid for a lot of lobbying to get the rule implemented in code. That's why it is irritating.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Not a dime. Slap it on the wall and cover the required wall recep too.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Or maybe the NEC is actually trying to save some lives.
GFCIs are a inexpensive way to increase the safety of electrical systems.
There is no reason the latest change in the rules added any GFCIs, the code has already required GFCIs in garages for a long time. The change just took away the exceptions to avoid them. This does not mean another GFCI must be added, we can just come off the GFCI protected circuit the garage already had.
GFCIs are a inexpensive way to increase the safety of electrical systems.
There is no reason the latest change in the rules added any GFCIs, the code has already required GFCIs in garages for a long time. The change just took away the exceptions to avoid them. This does not mean another GFCI must be added, we can just come off the GFCI protected circuit the garage already had.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Indeed. Google "Donnie electrocuted garage" or something like that to see one child that might have been saved.
You're foolin yourself if you think a single recep defeats a $.99 splitter.
You're foolin yourself if you think a single recep defeats a $.99 splitter.
Rick Christopherson
Senior Member
I did your search on several search engines, and with several variations....not a single story came up.
Can you find one single story of a person getting electrocuted while utilizing the outlet normally used for the door opener? I'm not talking about the other outlets in the garage, just the door opener.
You're missing the point. If instead of making the door opener outlet GFI, the code instead mandated the proper number of outlets in the garage in the first place, people would not be tempted to use an outlet that is otherwise inaccessible without a step ladder.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Who says they were not plugging extension cord into the non GFCI protected door opener outlet because it would not trip when using (whatever trips the GFCI outlet)?
I see that kind of thing a lot. Home owners do not know know what the real purpose of a GFCI is they just think it is an outlet with a breaker in it.
I have noticed many people avoid using GFCI receptacles because they fear it will trip and cause loss of power to whatever it is they have plugged in. I have many times seen a two gang box with a GFCI in one side and it protects a regular duplex receptacle on the other side. The non GFCI side will have cords plugged into it and even power strip or three way adapter with additional cords, but nothing plugged into the GFCI receptacle. They don't realize it made no difference which one they plugged into, as they are both protected.
I see that kind of thing a lot. Home owners do not know know what the real purpose of a GFCI is they just think it is an outlet with a breaker in it.
I have noticed many people avoid using GFCI receptacles because they fear it will trip and cause loss of power to whatever it is they have plugged in. I have many times seen a two gang box with a GFCI in one side and it protects a regular duplex receptacle on the other side. The non GFCI side will have cords plugged into it and even power strip or three way adapter with additional cords, but nothing plugged into the GFCI receptacle. They don't realize it made no difference which one they plugged into, as they are both protected.
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