Grounded outlets near water

Stellar

Member
Location
Michigan
Occupation
Electrical contractor
Where does it say an outlet next to a sink has to be GROUNDED in a kitchen, bathroom & laundry. Code section in national electrical code
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
It only has to have the EGC connected if it is new construction, or is present and connected at the panel. Nothing saying you have to have an EGC if it was installed prior to the requirement to have one.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
All metal parts of receptacles are required to be grounded. The exception would be for old installations where NM cable without an EGC is used and in that scenario a GFCI device can be used where there is no EGC. However GFCI protection is not a substitute for grounding when something plugged into the receptacle requires the connection to an EGC.
 

brycenesbitt

Senior Member
Location
United States
Where does it say an outlet next to a sink has to be GROUNDED in a kitchen, bathroom & laundry. Code section in national electrical code
Not a NEC code reference: but check your local rental housing code. Some of them address the issue of outlets in such areas. (My area requires GFCI, if the outlet has been modified or changed since installation).
 

Bill Annett

Senior Member
Location
Wheeling, WV
Occupation
Retired ( 2020 ) City Electrical inspector
Good morning. If you state or municipality adopted the International Property Maintenance code. I found this section of the 2021 INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE on line.

605.1 Installation. Electrical equipment, wiring and appliances shall be properly installed and maintained in a safe and approved manner. 605.2 Receptacles. Every habitable space in a dwelling shall contain not less than two separate and remote receptacle outlets. Every laundry area shall contain not less than one grounding-type receptacle or a receptacle with a ground fault circuit interrupter. Every bathroom shall contain not less than one receptacle. Any new bathroom receptacle outlet shall have ground fault circuit interrupter protection. All receptacle outlets shall have the appropriate faceplate cover for the location
 

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
Where does it say an outlet next to a sink has to be GROUNDED in a kitchen, bathroom & laundry. Code section in national electrical code
There is nothing that limits the location, all recepts have to be connected to an Equipment Grounding Conductor. NEC code reference-

406.4 General Installation Requirements
Receptacle outlets shall be located in branch circuits in accordance with Part III of Article 210. General installation requirements shall be in accordance with 406.4(A) through (F).
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(A) Grounding Type
Except as provided in 406.4(D), receptacles installed on 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits shall be of the grounding type. Grounding-type receptacles shall be installed only on circuits of the voltage class and current for which they are rated, except as provided in 210.21(B)(1) for single receptacles or Table 210.21(B)(2) and Table 210.21(B)(3) for two or more receptacles.
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(B) To Be Grounded
Receptacles and cord connectors that have equipment grounding conductor contacts shall have those contacts connected to an equipment grounding conductor.
Exception No. 1: Receptacles mounted on portable and vehicle-mounted generator sets and generators in accordance with 250.34.
Exception No. 2: Replacement receptacles as permitted by 406.4(D).
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brycenesbitt

Senior Member
Location
United States
In my area of older buildings, it's always a retrofit question.
The standard practice is to install GFCI with "no equipment ground", then grumble that the outlets come only with cheap paper stickers with those words, that will survive approximately one cleaning.
 
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