Sump Pump/GFCI

J

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I need to install a sump pump at a low corner of my crawl space. I haven't dealt with any pumps for several years. Last I recall, they were bad for tripping GFCI receptacles. I used GFCI breakers for the few I ran power for. In my case, I only have a half space open in my GE panel. I could move things around for a full space but I'd rather use a receptacle if they will handle pumps now. Anyone dealing with pumps recently?
 
You can buy a GFCI receptacle that has an alarm when tripped, but still has power from the panel.
 
jmellc said:
Last I recall, they were bad for tripping GFCI receptacles
Click to expand...
I don't believe that the new pumps have much of an issue with GFCI receptacles and yes protection is now required for sump pumps. Personally I dislike the idea of the pump being on a GFCI device for the obvious reason that it may trip just when you need it most. My sump pump is plugged into a single receptacle per they old exception in 210.8. As mentioned there are GFCI devices with alarms but they don't do you any good if your not home. There are battery backup systems but the will barely last more than a few hours in a severe storm. In my old home I installed a water operated sump pump as a back up to the electric one.
 
If it was my own home I would not put it on a GFCI. I'd also install an alarm pack so if the water gets too high you will get an alarm. I know Zoller has these.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
That only applied to elevator pits. The last time there was an exception that applied to the requirements of 210.8 was in the 2005 code.
Click to expand...
That's correct and here in NJ they kept the GFCI exceptions up until they adopted the 2020 NEC in 2023.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
That only applied to elevator pits. The last time there was an exception that applied to the requirements of 210.8 was in the 2005 code.
Click to expand...
I see the simplex exception in 2005 "Exception No. 2 to (5):" applied to 210.8(A)(5) for for unfinished basements.

I believe 406.4(D)(3) is the current GFCI "Replacement" code requirements for existing sump pumps.
In 2005 it was 406.3(D)(2)
 
Last edited:
infinity said:
That's correct and here in NJ they kept the GFCI exceptions up until they adopted the 2020 NEC in 2023.
Click to expand...
2020 NEC also ads sump pumps to 422.5(A), so 210.8(D) now requires GFCI for hardwired sump pumps. "the outlets supplying the appliances specified in 422.5(A)"

No more hardwired outlets to avoid GFCI.
 
Jraef said:
Leviton now has GFCI outlets that have WiFi built in, so that it can contact you if it trips, but you cannot reset it remotely. Still, better than just an audible alarm if you are not home when it happens.
Click to expand...
Those audible alarms are only good if you can hear them. I can't hear ours even if standing next to it.

I may need to invest in a WiFi one.
 
tthh said:
I'd also install an alarm pack so if the water gets too high you will get an alarm.
Click to expand...
Same for those complaining about freezers warming up because of tripped GFCI. you still have problems if the freezer or the pump that is the topic here fails for whatever reason. Not all failures are because of GFCI trips.
 
You may want to check your local Code, In Oregon no GFCI is needed on dedicated circuits for sump or sewage pumps.
 
infinity said:
In my old home I installed a water operated sump pump as a back up to the electric one.
Click to expand...
That was the way I did it in my previous house as well. Now I depend on a transportable generator to keep everything we absolutely have to have working supplied with power. But since that is a manual system maybe I should install an eductor back up at this house to. I have a fairly large battery array to keep my radio equipment running during an outage but I certainly wouldn't need it to do that if I was not here to operate the radios. I could set the battery bank output to change over to a back up sump pump. I'll have to do the consumption calculation and think about that. They're Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries so they maintain a fairly constant output until they reach 90 percent of their theoretical capacity. Then the voltage curve falls off a cliff.
 
acin said:
is that in 2023?
Click to expand...
And in many cases the 2017 requires sump pumps to be on a gfci. The code does not state sump pump per se, but it does state outlets installed in unfinished basements, etc must be gfci. Back then you could get by with a direct wired pump

@jmellc -- check to see if they make a direct wired sump pump. I am betting they don't make them.

BTW, NC is on the 2017
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top