Gfi on Dryer circuit
- Thread starter D George
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I am afraid it will be required for dryers. Laundry areas need gfci so as long as the dryer is in the laundry area then it needs gfci.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
btw, welcome to the forum
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
Wow. Just... wow.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
I was not aware of that one. Anyone know the justification in the proposal?
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
No, money is the reason.
. A justification isnt necessarily true or valid. Dont code change proposals need a justification?Thank you, I did read where all 125 through 250 volt receptacles had to be Gfi protected I just see it referenced.
Thank you!
Greg1707
Senior Member
- Location
- Alexandria, VA
- Occupation
- Business owner Electrical contractor
The code has expanded the use of GFCI protection. Recent requirements were vending machines and dishwashers. Now the requirement has expanded to washers and dryers. If there truly were a need for this protection why has this not been addressed by the manufacturers of the appliances? If users are being injured by the appliances would it not drive the manufactures to improve the safety of their products?No, money is the reason.
With all the GFCI and AFCI requirements on almost everything and putting in a panel is getting very expensive. It is all about the money not so much the safety. But we must do what the AHJ says weather they use the 2014,2017, or 2020. In my opinion they really need to take a real hard look at all these codes like this one and consider the impact it has on the industry. With the more rules that are unnecessary, will people/builders start doing electrical work on there own? Thus making it less safe.
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- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
This means my clothes line needs gfci protection-- oh no....LOL
hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
An analyses absolutely needs to be done to determine the effectiveness vs cost of all these changes. We know that we can't trust the NEC because they are manufacturer driven. The states and jurisdictions have the ultimate last word if and when they adopt new codes. They have the ability to remove requirements that they deem are not in the best interest of their businesses. For instance, they can decide that the benefit doesn't justify the expense. And most of these new AFCI/GFCI requirements only benefit the manufacturers.
It's up to trade organizations and businesses themselves to push for state addendums, but it looks like most in this trade (except for here) are indifferent to whatever the NEC says. Many in this trade still think that AFCIs save lives.
If you look at other trades, they got residential sprinkler systems removed from being required (IMO wrongly so) in most jurisdictions and that shows you what can be done when you work together.
-Hal
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Many places even if non electricians do the work, it still requires inspection and often utility will not energize until AHJ gives them notification that it is ok to energize - so still no getting around the code in those situations unless you already spent the $$ and installed the required items and then removed them after final inspection. But then when owner goes to sell the home there may still be instances where you end up putting said items back in.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
NEC doesn't specify washers and dryers, though with 2020 changes it sort of amounts to that. It is the receptacle being in a specific location mentioned in 210.8 that triggers both washer and dryer, before 2020 it was just 15 and 20 amp 120 volt receptacles, but now includes 125 volt to ground and I believe up to 50 amps and that is how the dryer gets in there. I believe you could avoid the GFCI if you hardwired the dryer as there would be no receptacle. But not many want this appliance hard wired.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Do we have a definition for laundry area?
Typical is to have a washer and dryer next to one another, but doesn't always happen. If not in same area is there two laundry areas or does only the area containing the washer count as the laundry area?
How many use typical clothes dryer for something other than part of process of laundering their clothing?
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
Could you use SO Cord to a j-box with blank cover and a breaker lockout? Or would you need a disconnect?
synchro
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicago, IL
- Occupation
- EE
Just insert GFCI device between the line and the load (of laundry)
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I let you fight that one out with your inspector. Sure if your washer dryer is in your den is it a laundry area or a den? My bet is that a 240 dryer is going to need gfci in most instances.
Do you really need a definition for a laundry area. If you use the words to launder then it would only apply to the washer.
Peter Furrow
We’re not born humble, we’re born to be humbled
- Location
- Cape canaveral Fl
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
I’d love to hear from the guy who tries to install a GFCI breaker for the dryer on a three wire system. The neutral to case connection for the three prong dryer cord May give that GFCI breaker a run for it’s money...but, hopefully these GFCI breaker requirements on dryers won’t be required in older homes. New installations will definitely require it.
But I could see Home inspector‘s implicating it on their Home inspection reports for home insurance policies.
Who knows, this might be the new spike in our industry. We may have to run New dedicated 4-wire dryer circuits with GFCI protection in older homes every time I Home inspector puts it on his report for a new buyer to get insurance..
But I could see Home inspector‘s implicating it on their Home inspection reports for home insurance policies.
Who knows, this might be the new spike in our industry. We may have to run New dedicated 4-wire dryer circuits with GFCI protection in older homes every time I Home inspector puts it on his report for a new buyer to get insurance..
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