Yet another shirt-pocket code inspector. Demand a Code reference.
GFCI Required on refrigerator?
- Thread starter Johnyzoom
- Start date
- Status
Yet another shirt-pocket code inspector. Demand a Code reference.
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
I know plug in drinking fountain/coolers require GFCI protection per 422.5(A)(2). So would a refrigerator with chilled water dispensing be a water cooler?
rc/retired
Senior Member
- Location
- Bellvue, Colorado
- Occupation
- Master Electrician/Inspector retired
IMO no.
Ron
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I know that is why I said it was weird. If the plug is behind the refrig it is not likely to be used.
rc/retired
Senior Member
- Location
- Bellvue, Colorado
- Occupation
- Master Electrician/Inspector retired
No, it did not remove "fixed barrier".
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
Drinking fountains have integrated sinks, so possibly it could be considered the same as a kitchen or other sink. Dispensers on a refrigerator have an evaporator tray, instead of a drain, so it may be why it’s not considered a sink. Also, dispenser on most refrigerators are non-metallic, where most drinking fountains and sinks are metallic. Just throwing that out there.
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
Code only uses the words "Drinking water cooler". I've seen these totally plastic and utilize bottled water and have integrated GFCI.
For Gods sake, just make the entire house arc/gfi protected!! No more fancy wording, no more figuring out footage, no more figuring what room your standing in, no more accounting for inspectors that equate a refrigerators water line equivalent to a sink, etc.....
It will happen. Just wait.
But when it happens then I don't have anyone to argue or debate with. Where is the fun in that?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I don't want to get those troubleshooting calls.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Refrigerators do not specifically require GFCI. The receptacle supplying them does depending on where it is located and what conditions in 210.8 may apply, as well as which edition of NEC applies as it has had some changes each of the past few editions that may impact certain common applications where a refrigerator may be the intended load.
Again refrigerator does not require GFCI, the receptacle it plugs into however might require GFCI.
Again refrigerator does not require GFCI, the receptacle it plugs into however might require GFCI.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
I wouldn't be that opposed to all GFCI single pole breakers, sort of like the afci requirements but without the nonsense. At least GFCI actually does something
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I'd rather see 30 mA GFP for everything and if you do implement any 4-6 mA trip settings for specific circumstances - only do so in the locations that used to be required in about 1987 NEC.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
Don't give em any ideas lol!
WannabeTesla
Member
- Location
- America
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrical Contractor
I don't want to get those troubleshooting calls.
I got that call a couple weeks ago. It started out innocently enough- install a vanity light for a designer. When i finished, ho said "It's beautiful! While you're here..." after a little back and forth with Siemens, well... systematic procedure seems to be the only way to find the problem. I can't confirm but I've heard that some afci breaker mfrs have the means to simplify troubleshooting but canned it due to no demand. Then the code mandated afci and now they're looking at re introducing it. Personally, I'm still on the fence about afci. I like the theory of it, but then i also like the theory of a Mr Fusion being used to power time travel.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Where did you hear that? Code mandated AFCI's around 20 years ago, as time went by mandated them in more places than they initially did.
Installers and troubleshooters have been demanding troubleshooting tips, advice, tools from the very beginning, as the manufacturer's seemed to be guarding exactly how they work from the very beginning. Some the details of how they work are more closely guarded than some of the department of defense classified information is.
Most have at some point introduced self diagnostic features that at very least let user know if last trip was because of AFCI function, GFCI function or regular thermal-magnetic function, and have kept those features since introducing them.
Eddie702
Licensed Electrician
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Electrician
I hear this quite often and wonder where that myth began.
I suppose next we will have to GFCI/AFCI the toilet and bath tub
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
- Status