15 amp gfci

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magictolight.com

magictolight.com

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Indianola, Iowa
Today I was dinged for having a 15 amp duplex gfci receptacle on a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I am trying to find the requirement which calls for a 20 amp gfci on a 20 amp breaker in the code and seem to be having serious brain fade. Where is that found in the NEC?
 
magictolight.com said:
Today I was dinged for having a 15 amp duplex gfci receptacle on a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I am trying to find the requirement which calls for a 20 amp gfci on a 20 amp breaker in the code and seem to be having serious brain fade. Where is that found in the NEC?
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You cant find whats not there. Tell mr inspector to site the number. Its a duplex so not a single receptacle, its 2 receptacles.
 
magictolight.com said:
today i was dinged for having a 15 amp duplex gfci receptacle on a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I am trying to find the requirement which calls for a 20 amp gfci on a 20 amp breaker in the code and seem to be having serious brain fade. Where is that found in the nec?
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210.21(b)(3).
 
210.21 (b)(3) table That's what I was looking for. The only thing, because it is a duplex does this chart not allow a single 15 amp gfci duplex receptacle to be installed on a dedicated 20 amp circuit? The way I interpret this code is it is completely allowable.
 
magictolight.com,

I personally agree with your understanding. A duplex is two receptacles and two 15 amp receptacles are permitted to be fed from a 20 amp circuit...

mweaver
 
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Interesting. However, where I get caught up is definitions calls a receptacle "a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or mor contact devices on the same yoke." When considering this, by golly, I think I may have caught the inspector. What do you think?
 
magictolight.com,

(for me...)
When you install a duplex receptacle you do in fact install two contact devices at the outlet for the connection of two attachment plugs.

…but rather than say: “I think I may have caught the inspector” … I (personally) prefer to use the thinking that you may have the opportunity to expand his understanding of this requirement :) …

mweaver
 
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magictolight.com said:
Today I was dinged for having a 15 amp duplex gfci receptacle on a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I am trying to find the requirement which calls for a 20 amp gfci on a 20 amp breaker in the code and seem to be having serious brain fade. Where is that found in the NEC?
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if you have only one device on a 20a. ckt, that device must be 20 amp, correct?

that's probably where your inspector is coming from.

the difference between a 15 amp and a 20 amp gfci is something like $4.....?
 
"the difference between a 15 amp and a 20 amp gfci is something like $4.....?"

Unfortunately I was working 100 miles from nowhere and all I had was 15 amp gfci receptacles.
I have a call into the inspector and as soon as he gets back to me i will post his reply.
 
definition of receptacle is "a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or mor contact devices on the same yoke." 210.21(B)(1) This section refers to single receptacles specifically.
 
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Well, the inspector got back to me. He said, "I probably should have stated that better. When I saw the 15 amp gfci i assumed that you used 14 gauge wire. I did not open it up to check. You can have one 15 amp gfci on a 20 amp circuit because it has two plugs."

So maybe I made something out of nothing but I do appreciate the conversation!
 
magictolight.com said:
Well, the inspector got back to me. He said, "I probably should have stated that better. When I saw the 15 amp gfci i assumed that you used 14 gauge wire. I did not open it up to check. You can have one 15 amp gfci on a 20 amp circuit because it has two plugs."

So maybe I made something out of nothing but I do appreciate the conversation!
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You see. Inspectors are human-- at least, I think they are. :D
 
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