GFCI Receptacle's

[sparkey874]

Ok, we are doing a rehab on a building on a military base and are replacing the old bathroom receptacles with GFCIs. The building wiring is old and only 2 wires were run to the orginal recpts. Now my question is will this meet the NEC Code? My Chief and the NAFAC Officer say it will because there is a GFCI present in the bathroom, but to my understanding, for proper operation a ground wire must run from the GFCI receptacle back to the PP to be a good circuit. Does the NEC say anything about this? I have a copy of the 2008 NEC and am looking also. Thank you in advance

CE2

 

[hillbilly1]

The GFI's will work fine, they are not looking for a ground, all they look for is current taking a different path than the two wires feeding it.

 

[sparkey874]

That is true hillbilly, but the excess current still needs a place to go, ie the ground back to the pannel. Otherwise it will burn the recpt up. Or at least that's how I learned it many moons ago.

 

[hillbilly1]

That is true hillbilly, but the excess current still needs a place to go, ie the ground back to the pannel. Otherwise it will burn the recpt up. Or at least that's how I learned it many moons ago.

If there is no return path, there is no current, it will not burn the receptacle up. It does not even have to be a fault to ground, if the surrounding surfaces are energized by a fault from another conductor, and you have a fault in the ground fault protected circuit, it will open the ground fault circuit. (but the other circuit will remain energized)

 

[jumper]

Here is your NEC reference.

406.3(D)(3)(b) A non?grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted
to be replaced with a ground-fault circuit interrupter type
of receptacle(s). These receptacles shall be marked
?No Equipment Ground.? An equipment grounding conductor
shall not be connected from the ground-fault circuit interrupter-
type receptacle to any outlet supplied from the
ground-fault circuit-interrupter receptacle.

 

[iwire]

sparkey874,

GFCIs do not require an equipment grounding conductor at all. Forget about 'excess current' there is no such thing.

A GFCI measures the out going current and the returning current, if they do not match the GFCI will trip.

The only way that the current would not match is if the circuit found a new path to ground, say from someones hand touching a live part and the damp floor they are standing on.

As jumper posted the NEC has some rules for installing a GFCI without a grounding means, but it is allowed, nothing will burn up and it is a step up from a normal receptacle.

 

[infinity]

What was the original wiring method? If it was metallic conduit you would already have an EGC in place.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

...The only way that the current would not match is if the circuit found a new path to ground, say from someones hand touching a live part and the damp floor they are standing on. ...

It has to find a new path back to the source, not to ground. However, because our systems are grounded systems, that path to the souce may be via "ground".