GFCI protection for residential sump pump?

[Heritage Electric]

I am going to hook up a sump pump at a residence, the plumber has left the sump pump sitting in the hole and the sump pump has a standard 120v 15a cord. For one I have never seen a sump pump in a front yard deep in a hole, second the previous installer did not GFCI protect the old sump pump, it's hard wired through a plastic compression cord connector that goes into a wp plate with 1/2 hubs. Anyway Ive read the NEC on GFCI many times and I undestand it is an exception, although this is located outside and is accesible. Help please?

 

[jumper]

What exception are you referring to? You have a sump pump located outside that needs to plug into a GFCI protected receptacle, correct??

 

[Heritage Electric]

No Im not sure if it needs to be GFCI Protected, the previous one was not it was hard wired. It is accessible in side a well/hole with a ground box cover. Seems GFCI would not be a good idea especially if it tripped and no one knew.

 

[al hildenbrand]

What exception are you referring to?

I'm pretty sure the "exception" is that the GFCI requirement is only for cord and plug connected 125 V 15 and 20 A loads.

 

[jumper]

I'm pretty sure the "exception" is that the GFCI requirement is only for cord and plug connected 125 V 15 and 20 A loads.

Didn't OP say his new pump had a 120v 15A cord?

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Hertitage

Would you by any chance have a picture we can see to help us here a little?

From your post, you say there is a cord entering the box via a cord connector. Was the cord altered at all, such as an attachment plug being removed?

I am not sure it is necessary to GFCI a hardwired sumppump, even if it is installed outside. Unless the instructions call out for GFCI protection.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Didn't OP say his new pump had a 120v 15A cord?

Yup. The OP doesn't say anything about an attachment plug on that cord, however.

 

[jumper]

Yup. The OP doesn't say anything about an attachment plug on that cord, however.

It should have an attachment plug, because I do not think a cord can be hardwired into an outlet box.

400.7(B)

(B) Attachment Plugs. Where used as permitted in
400.7(A)(3), (A)(6), and (A)(8), each flexible cord shall
be equipped with an attachment plug and shall be energized
from a receptacle outlet or cord connector body.

 

[renosteinke]

Hardwiring a cord to a box? It better be allowed: there sure are a lot of connectors designed sold for that very puprose!

The question is whether a cord is appropriate. Given the circumstances - a submersible sump pump - there's not much else that would work. That's why UL even has a cord classification of 'submersible pump cable.'

Wiring to a box also makes sense, because you often have controls that are independent of the pump itself.

"Pump on a GFCI" is an issue as old as GFCI's. The 'change' you're thinking of is probably the change to basement GFCI requirements. In the past few code editions, the pump is not required to be GFCI protected, but the receptacle is- assuming the receptacle is in the basement.

Since code language refers to 'receptacles,' rather than 'outlets,' I would say a hard-wired pump need not be GFCI protected.

That aside, though, I see no harm in such protection. Pumps made this year/decade/century/millenium should not trip the GFCI in normal operation.

 

[jumper]

Hardwiring a cord to a box? It better be allowed: there sure are a lot of connectors designed sold for that very puprose!

Yes, you are correct there are applications where a cord may be connected to a box, but I do not think this is one of them.

My guess is that OP has a sump pump similar to the one below and it will need a receptacle, He cannot just cut the plug off and hard wire it.

 

[Heritage Electric]

Thanks for all the info, actually I ended up hardwiring it and set a GFCI at the begining of the line locate din the hot waterheater closet. The problem now is I cut the piggyback cord and need to figure out how the internal switch is wired. her is a pic of what I think it has to be judging from the fact that there are only two wires coming from the level sensor. I might be wrong, I still have the part I cut and am going to test it later. I have no continuity between hot prongs so that must be it. If anyone has and comments please let me know, The location where the box is would not be a good place for a receptacle, it would be ruined within months I imagine thats why I opted to hard wire, although now I have messed up by cutting the cord, maybe not.