GFCI protection required?

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ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
To get rid of a zip chord extension chord that the Verizon guy used to energize his box because there was no plug by the panel, the owner would like a receptacle by the panel. The utility closet where the panel is and Verizon box is is small The wall that the equipment is mounted on is a foundation wall with a piece of plywood on it. The entire basement is finished. A door opens to this closet.
The owner would like to plug the telephone and his sprinkler system box into this box.

Does that receptacle need GFCI protection or could it be considered part of his finished basement?

(Note the finished basement is in a house. The house is a realtors office. If all is right the GFCI shouldn't trip if one was installed but would hate for any power interruption if he was on important call or whatever)

Thank you
 
The closet seems like a unfinished part of the finished basement to me.

(5) Unfinished basements — for purposes of this section,
unfinished basements are defined as portions or areas
of the basement not intended as habitable rooms and
limited to storage areas, work areas, and the like.
 
jumper said:
The closet seems like a unfinished part of the finished basement to me.

(5) Unfinished basements — for purposes of this section,
unfinished basements are defined as portions or areas
of the basement not intended as habitable rooms and
limited to storage areas, work areas, and the like.
Click to expand...

Thank. Let me ask.


If there was a closet that was sheet rocked in a finished basement Would a receptacle in that closet be required to be GFCI?

If that same sheet rocked closet had a panel in it. GFCI required?

Just wondering ?
 
ritelec said:
Thank. Let me ask.


If there was a closet that was sheet rocked in a finished basement Would a receptacle in that closet be required to be GFCI?

If that same sheet rocked closet had a panel in it. GFCI required?

Just wondering ?
Click to expand...

I would say no, but that is not what you described or what I am envisioning from your earlier description.
 
I would have to agree with you and normally would just put a GFCI receptacle there.

For fear of his power interruption was just trying to bend the rules a bit.

To add. The Verizon equipment is not on an extension cord. The cord is actually long. It runs down and under the closet door to a non GFCI in the finished basement.

A little strange that that is perfectly fine but if that receptacle was moved over two feet would be something completely different.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K2P86C-1x3o
 
Doesn't the Verizon equipment have its own UPS. Most phone equipment other than POTS has an UPS at the equipment.
 
Yes, Don, Verizon's unit does include and integral battery backup for the voice service only. Video and Internet services provided via FiOS is not covered by this backup. It's only good for about 3-4 hours of run time and a tripped GFI might not be noticed right away, so I'd go with the NON-GFCI protected outlet.
 
I agree with Bob, that they code may not permit a non-GFCI protected receptacle outlet at that location. If the owner is that concerned he can add a power failure alarm for the receptacle and additional UPS protection.

While it doesn't help now, the FCC is looking at an 8 hour minimum UPS run time for phone lines. The issue is the unavailability of 911 services when the power is out on these types of phone systems.
 
A finished closet in a finished basement is no different than a finished closet in a bedroom, therefore no GFCI protection required.
 
ritelec said:
The owner would like to plug the telephone and his sprinkler system box into this box.

Does that receptacle need GFCI protection or could it be considered part of his finished basement?
Click to expand...


Why worry about phone equipment plugged into a GFCI protected outlet? We plug in sump pumps all the time and they work just fine. If the GFCI trips it means there is a problem.

I would worry more about the AFCI requirement .

I wouldn't plug the sprinker equipment into the same GFCI protected receptacle as the phone system. Pigtail and use seperate receptacles and that way if the Sprinkler trips the GFCI it will not affect the phone.
 
And if the floor in the closet is still bare concrete does that not still require the receptacle to be GFCI'd
 
mopowr steve said:
And if the floor in the closet is still bare concrete does that not still require the receptacle to be GFCI'd
Click to expand...

I understand and will probably put the gfci in (as suggested maybe two)

But what if the concert was bare or painted with open studs on the inside painted or not.
And was considered as the designer wanted it. And finished. The industrial look ??

The concrete floor.

I wouldn't be able to keep a concrete floor painted or bare and consider a room finished?

What if tile is put on that floor. That may look more finished than bare concrete but it's still the same Right ?


Thank you for the feed back.
 
If carpet was added I guess (just guessing) would constitute it as finished while raising a persons hand to foot impedance?


Is there anyway the phone equipment can be placed upstairs or in a different location?
 
A concrete floor does not automatically trigger a GFCI requirement. Since you're in New Jersey you could just install a single receptacle since the local code has retained the exception from the 2005 and earlier versions of the NEC.

2005 NEC:
210.8(A)(5)Exception No. 2 to (5): A single receptacle or a duplex receptacle for two appliances
located within dedicated space for each appliance that, in normal use, is not easily
moved from one place to another and that is cord-and-plug connected in accordance with
400.7(A)(6), (A)(7), or (A)(8).
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Infinity…

Meant to thank you.

I think someday soon the 2014 is going to be adopted..

I remember going through the ucc and finding ref. to that 2005..

Would you know if that addendum (if thats the right word) would still apply with the 2014 adoption.?
 
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