Individual GFCIs in bathrooms

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Electromatic

Electromatic

Senior Member
Location
Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician
We used the method of a dedicated circuit to only the receptacle(s) in more than one bathroom with nothing else, even other bathroom outlets, on the circuit. We put a GFCI receptacle in the first bathroom and used it to protect the receptacles in the other bathrooms. The inspector wants an individual GFCI receptacle device in each bathroom. Has anything in the NEC or IRC changed recently to require this? We are on the 2014 NEC and 2015 IRC.
Thanks
 
Unless there's a local ordinance to the contrary, individual GFCIs are not required in the NEC. Plain-jane receps can be protected by an upstream GFCI recep that's Line-Loaded, or a GFCI breaker.
 
It would be somewhat fun if I were in the bathroom with the first GFI receptacle in it.

I'd push the test button just out of spite to burden the occupants in the other bathrooms.

JAP>
 
Electromatic said:
We used the method of a dedicated circuit to only the receptacle(s) in more than one bathroom with nothing else, even other bathroom outlets, on the circuit. We put a GFCI receptacle in the first bathroom and used it to protect the receptacles in the other bathrooms. The inspector wants an individual GFCI receptacle device in each bathroom. Has anything in the NEC or IRC changed recently to require this? We are on the 2014 NEC and 2015 IRC.
Thanks
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It is a mystery to me that the trade has come to having so many clueless inspectors. It just gets worse all the time. If I had an inspector this clueless on my job I'd tell his boss he can't come back. Sure, having a GFCI device in every bathroom would be a nice touch but certainly not something that is required.
 
Thanks for the confirmations. I didn't see anything in the IRC, either. Of course, now it's the perennial question of calling the inspector on his mis-interpretation, or just changing it to what he wants. (not a big deal in this case)
 
To answer the question there is no rule that requires gfci in every bathroom. In fact I bet it is possible that a problem in one bath could potentially trip a gfci in a different bath downstream. No rhyme or reason to do what he wants
 
Electromatic said:
We used the method of a dedicated circuit to only the receptacle(s) in more than one bathroom with nothing else, even other bathroom outlets, on the circuit. We put a GFCI receptacle in the first bathroom and used it to protect the receptacles in the other bathrooms. The inspector wants an individual GFCI receptacle device in each bathroom. Has anything in the NEC or IRC changed recently to require this? We are on the 2014 NEC and 2015 IRC.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Can’t you ask him to cite the article you failed? Seems that would be the end of it..
 
There's not even required to have any GFCI devices in the bathroom at all. This hasn't changed since, what the 80's, when the requirement to protect bathroom receptacles was added to the code. About the only real change in the NEC for GFCI in this century hasn't touched bathrooms.
 
rnatalie said:
There's not even required to have any GFCI devices in the bathroom at all. This hasn't changed since, what the 80's, when the requirement to protect bathroom receptacles was added to the code. About the only real change in the NEC for GFCI in this century hasn't touched bathrooms.
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I think GFCI's were first required by NEC for bathroom receptacles in 1975.
 
I agree, perfectly legal, but I wouldn't do it that way.

A bit inconvenient, see post by jap.
 
As others have stated the NEC does not require individual GFCI's in each bathroom. That said (and this is strictly my opinion) if you are wiring a small house and your first GFCI is in the powder room, wiring a second bathroom on the load side of that GFCI would cause only a small degree of inconvenience but is Code compliant. By the same token, if you are wiring a mega-mansion with 3, 4 or 5 bathrooms and you install the GFCI in the first bathroom with the other bathrooms wired on the load side of the GFCI, while you may be Code compliant you are truly a scoundrel and a cheap skate. It's a matter of convenience and that's what I believe the EI is asking for (even though it is not required). Again, just my opinion - please don't take offense :)
 
ptonsparky said:
Question: How many of you have had a GFCI trip frequently that was protecting the bathroom receptacles only?
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Frequently? Never. I have had a call or two because a GFCI tripped and outlets didn’t work “somewhere” else.
once I found it or told them what to look for it was never an issue again.
I have been in my house over 25 years and never had a bathroom GFCI trip (3.5 baths)
kitchen, front porch GFCI seldom but occasionally in a really bad thunderstorm though..

First time (years ago) one of the ones in the Kitchen tripped. Didn’t know..
Only outlet we noticed was the one at the little kitchen desk area. Controlled the answering machine.
Wife bought a new answering machine... She knows where that one is now.
 
ptonsparky said:
Question: How many of you have had a GFCI trip frequently that was protecting the bathroom receptacles only?
Click to expand...
Never.
goldstar said:
By the same token, if you are wiring a mega-mansion with 3, 4 or 5 bathrooms and you install the GFCI in the first bathroom with the other bathrooms wired on the load side of the GFCI, while you may be Code compliant you are truly a scoundrel and a cheap skate. :)
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That guy wired my house. :mad:
 
I've got to the point that I put a separate gfci device in every location where protection is required, even if they're on the same circuit - except if it's in the same room and really obvious that it's protecting duplex receptacles downstream

I wired a new rental duplex last year for a builder who wanted to supply his own materials. When the finish came around, I had 30 gfci on my material list. He just about had a stroke.

I told him that's how I do it - and especially on a rental, the landlord doesn't need to be paying service calls for me to come push a reset button that a tenant can't find.

I wired another house for him, that I supplied materials. He said he was really surprised to see I did that one the same way.
 
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