Bathroom GFCI

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1793

1793

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Occupation
Inspector
I would like to throw this out and see what you think:
Customer wants a receptacle in a finished basement bathroom. No way to get a home-run without damaging walls or ceiling. This would be unacceptable to the home owner. What are the ramifications of coming off a general lighting circuit for this GFCI receptacle?

Norb
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

210.11(C)(3) - "...at least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall have no other outlets."

The only exception to this is if the bathroom is supplied by a single circuit. Only then is equipment other than the bathroom receptacle allowed to be supplied by the bathroom circuit. However, this equipment must be located in the bathroom and the circuit must be 20-amps.

If the bathroom is located directly below the upstairs bathroom, it might be possible to drop a circuit down from the upstairs bathroom receptacle with a minimal amount of opening of walls.

Laura
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

I don?t know the basis for the rule prohibiting other outlets on the bathroom circuit. But this is what makes sense to me: Suppose you power the new GFI receptacle from the general lighting circuit. Suppose the homeowner is using a heavy-duty hair dryer in that new bathroom. Suppose it overloads and trips the branch circuit breaker that feeds the GFI receptacle. Now the homeowner has to make his or her way around the basement, without any lights, in order to find, and reset, the circuit breaker. I would not call that safe. There is no electrical shock hazard involved. However, the design and operation of an electrical system could put the homeowner at risk of tripping and sustaining an injury.

Nah, don?t go there. Tell the homeowner that safety has to outweigh convenience.
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

[/Contact your AHJ, he/she might be kind & let you pull off an existing ckt.
QUOTE]

Very foolish if he allows this.If someone buys that house and discovers the violation they could go after the inspector,the old owner,and you.NEC never uses the words IF ITS TO HARD TO DO
It either is to code or its not,and this would not be.How did the bathroom get added ? by permit ?They have a bathroom so now it is not an option but a required item to have a gfci receptacle to code.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

I do understand the problems if code is not followed. My job is to inspect per code & fail non compliant installations. If, however there is a situation that is beyond my control,I refer customers to my ahj then he makes the final call. I would in no way condone code violations.
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

Had he wanted to do this about 15 years ago it might have been fine.Not sure what code cycle it changed in but was legal at one time.We no longer live in a world where we can say ok to something we know is wrong.Fast way to end up in court.All you need is one person to slip and fall because the lights went out and your in court.
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

Sometimes it is not easy for a contractor to tell the customer that the job will entail more than they thought, with added cost - they think the contractor is looking for extra work.
That is when I tell the contractor to have the customer call me and I will be the bad guy ;) . This helps sometimes, sometimes it backfires on me as the customer will keep me on the phone asking a million (at least what seems like a million) questions :eek:

But in the end MINIMUM code requirements should be followed for all new work.
 
Re: Bathroom GFCI

So now you cant win.If the bathroom never had a permit can you dare get one for this outlet ? Or will you do what the carpenter and plumber did and not pull one.I would tell them right upfront that it needs done to code and with a permit.Willing to bet thats when say forget it.
 
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