GFCI Outlet on GFEP circuit

[GotShocked]

We have an existing circuit that provides 120V power to a heat trace circuit via a GFEP breaker. We would like to add an outdoor GFCI outlet to this circuit. What do you guys think? Also, it appears that although GFEP breakers are recommended for heat trace circuits, the 2017 code does not disallow GFCI protection of heat trace, do you guys concur?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I think you mean gfpe. There should be no issue adding a gfci in the same panel as a gfpe feeder.

 

[kwired]

We have an existing circuit that provides 120V power to a heat trace circuit via a GFEP breaker. We would like to add an outdoor GFCI outlet to this circuit. What do you guys think? Also, it appears that although GFEP breakers are recommended for heat trace circuits, the 2017 code does not disallow GFCI protection of heat trace, do you guys concur?

Thanks for the help!

GFPE will have higher leakage current allowed before tripping. 30 mA is common, so is 100 mA.

GFCI will trip with 4-6 mA leakage. The GFCI receptacle on a GFPE protected circuit will trip at the low leakage level and not impact the GFPE unless leakage happened to be 30 mA/100mA, in which case it was going to trip even without the GFCI. If there is say 20 mA of leakage from the heat trace, the GFCI won't care, it is not passing any of that associated current through the GFCI.

NEC allows GFPE on heat trace because amount of leakage that is considered normal can exceed GFCI trip levels.