kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
I have run into freezers and power tools with missing EGC pin on the cord, very good reason to require GFCI protection, especially in residential setting where one may be more likely to contact such an appliance/tool while barefoot.There is here is no belly aching. There is no logical reason for a dedicated freezer or a plasma cutter to be protected. The code that everyone refers to in 210.8 (2)
'Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms'
'Grade level' most all new construction shops and out buildings are above grade so this does not apply. This is very silly from an electrical point of view. Anybody that has studied arc faults and GFCI or knows anything about electrical knows that it is measuring the current and that a discrepancy to ground causes it to trip thus in a workshop where someone might be running a small fabrication business from their home or something like that would have no reason or need to have GFI protected receptacles where there is no wet location or common fault currents to ground.
Why you say most new shops and outbuildings are above grade? If it has a slab on grade for a floor it is "on grade". This seems to be most common type of outbuilding these days for such applications. If it would have a foundation that raises the floor so it is not directly on grade (even if floor is still concrete composition) you are no longer "on grade".
NEC doesn't specifically require GFCI in all non residential "shops", but does mention "Garages, service bays, and similar areas" which leaves many "shops" wide open for interpretation. If you can get a vehicle in there, many say it definitely needs GFCI protection, but "similar areas" can cover a lot of places IMO.