GFCI device & moisture

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ptonsparky said:
Visited my BILs South Central Missouri ranch this last week and was giving him hell about lack of GFCI protection. He says they fail due to the high humidity. Even the WR ones. I suspect a great deal of other problems but I don't live there so IDK.

Input?
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I don't know either "but" they have been used successfully on construction sites during some pretty bad weather for over 30 years.
 
When WR was first required, I had several P&S WR GFCI's that failed (would not reset) in short time after installing. Made me decide not to use them unless it was to be inspected:(

Haven't had one fail for quite a while now, maybe something wrong with the first ones or I just got unlucky enough to get some bad ones?
 
After years of replacing outdoor GFCI's including so-called weather-resistant models that failed within two years and at times under a year, I try to move them indoors, either as a GFCI receptacle feeding an outdoor receptacle, or when that isn't convenient, using a GFCI breaker. It gets pretty humid here in the summer, and units mounted lower to the ground definitely fail sooner, so moisture is a strong possibility in my opinion. I haven't personally had to replace more than maybe three GFCI's installed indoors with an under-2-year failure. So there may be some correlation/causation going on.
 
Craigv said:
After years of replacing outdoor GFCI's including so-called weather-resistant models that failed within two years and at times under a year, I try to move them indoors, either as a GFCI receptacle feeding an outdoor receptacle, or when that isn't convenient, using a GFCI breaker. It gets pretty humid here in the summer, and units mounted lower to the ground definitely fail sooner, so moisture is a strong possibility in my opinion. I haven't personally had to replace more than maybe three GFCI's installed indoors with an under-2-year failure. So there may be some correlation/causation going on.
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Well, they do have electronic boards in them. It makes sense that once the humidity exceeds a certain level, you're going to have problems. And there is nothing like actual experience. A breaker or feeder outlet (in a humidity-controlled environment) sounds like a good idea.

Anecdotally, I had a house built recently and noticed the electrician placed a GFCI outlet in the basement as the first on a circuit feeding the outdoor outlets. I didn't think too much about this at the time...but seeing this thread here, maybe that electrician was wise to the ways.
 
I read somewhere that the failure rate of Gfci receptacles in wet location was extremely high. I'll try and find that ...
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I read somewhere that the failure rate of Gfci receptacles in wet location was extremely high. I'll try and find that ...
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I find failure rate of any receptacle in a bell box in wet location to be high if you don't drill weep holes in bottom of the box, especially if top feeding raceway into the box.
 
JPinVA said:
Well, they do have electronic boards in them. It makes sense that once the humidity exceeds a certain level, you're going to have problems. And there is nothing like actual experience. A breaker or feeder outlet (in a humidity-controlled environment) sounds like a good idea.

Anecdotally, I had a house built recently and noticed the electrician placed a GFCI outlet in the basement as the first on a circuit feeding the outdoor outlets. I didn't think too much about this at the time...but seeing this thread here, maybe that electrician was wise to the ways.
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I started to put the GFCI's in my house and cabin in indoor receptacles and wire to the outdoor reception after having to replace several WR units after only 6-8 months. The ones I used were all from the same 10-pack carton. While not conclusive, the indoor ones are all still working 6 years later. The two outdoor receptacles I couldn't move to inside have each failed after about 2 years. All are in surface boxes facing south or west, and have in-use covers.
 
kwired said:
I find failure rate of any receptacle in a bell box in wet location to be high if you don't drill weep holes in bottom of the box, especially if top feeding raceway into the box.
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I assumed if I drilled the box it would mess up its listing

I figured it would be frowned upon here.

Learn something new everyday.
 
DBoone said:
I assumed if I drilled the box it would mess up its listing

I figured it would be frowned upon here.

Learn something new everyday.
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This used to be a common but not officially approved thing to do. This was changed in the 2014 NEC to specifically allow this in 314.15.
 
Im my experience the box is usually the culprit for damage. Connections to box not properly sealed or customer using receptacle in wet conditions without an "in -use" cover on the box.
 
Nickhxc4life said:
Im my experience the box is usually the culprit for damage. Connections to box not properly sealed or customer using receptacle in wet conditions without an "in -use" cover on the box.
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Or the cover not sealed to the exterior wall surface.
 
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