GFCI

[mo]

Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied from a dedicated circuit for electric snow melting are permitted to be installed without GFCI protection.
What if this outlet is used for christmas lighting. Is the outlet required to be GFCI protected ? Thank you for your responses

 

[ryan_618]

Re: GFCI

Yes, it would be required to be GFCI as per 210.8

 

[charlie]

Re: GFCI

"Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied from a dedicated circuit for . . . What if this outlet is used for Christmas lighting."

In my opinion, the circuit is no longer a dedicated circuit if it is used for something else. The receptacles need GFCI protection or another circuit run for the purpose.

 

[mike.oquinn]

Re: GFCI

The misunderstanding is related to the definition of a GFCI device. In the 2002NEC, 210.8 lists locations where ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for "personel" must occur. In Article 100 "Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter" is defined as a "Class A" device. The FPN states the trip range for this GFCI device is 4-6ma.
In the UL White Book Class A GFCI's are shown on page 57.
The Exception to 210.8(A) refers to electric snow-melting equipment, and requires a dedicated (not used for anything else) circuit, not readily accessible (about 7-1/2') - this is for safety reasons. 427.28 (the Article covering snow-melting equipment) requires "Ground-Fault Protection for Equipment", not personel. This is because the Class A GFCI would never allow the circuit to operate because of the heating cable's circuit configuation.
The UL White Book, page 35, provides information on "Equipment Ground-Fault Protective Devices.