Lighted Vanity Mirror and GFCI'S

Status
Not open for further replies.
Receptacles in bathrooms require GFCI protection. Period. There are no exceptions.

(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in 210.8(A)(1) through (10) shall have ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel.
(1) Bathrooms
Click to expand...
 
I wired a bathroom a couple of months ago that will have cord-and-plug connected mirrors with defoggers. Each mirror has 2 cords and requires 2 wall switches because there are no touch switches on the units. No receptacles in them.

The receptacles are behind the units, and inaccessible without removing the mirrors.

I know every bath receptacle is supposed to be gfci protected, but I honestly can't see any functional difference to a hardwired unit.

I did not gfci protect them.
They're on a lighting circuit that's only supplying that large bathroom.
 
James L said:
I wired a bathroom a couple of months ago that will have cord-and-plug connected mirrors with defoggers. Each mirror has 2 cords and requires 2 wall switches because there are no touch switches on the units. No receptacles in them.

The receptacles are behind the units, and inaccessible without removing the mirrors.

I know every bath receptacle is supposed to be gfci protected, but I honestly can't see any functional difference to a hardwired unit.

I did not gfci protect them.
They're on a lighting circuit that's only supplying that large bathroom.
Click to expand...


It begs the question as to whether or not that unit had a listing.
 
James L said:
I wired a bathroom a couple of months ago that will have cord-and-plug connected mirrors with defoggers. Each mirror has 2 cords and requires 2 wall switches because there are no touch switches on the units. No receptacles in them.

The receptacles are behind the units, and inaccessible without removing the mirrors.

I know every bath receptacle is supposed to be gfci protected, but I honestly can't see any functional difference to a hardwired unit.

I did not gfci protect them.
They're on a lighting circuit that's only supplying that large bathroom.
Click to expand...

That's what I am wondering as well, if the outlet is not readily accessible and the mirror would have to be removed it seems like the GFCI may not be needed. However, if a home owner or tenant was to remove the mirror for some reason and they were to use that receptacle then its right there at the sink.

A fellow electrical contractor is doing a multi-family unit job that consist of approx 300 apartments each will have a lighted mirror that is cord connected. He has put non gfci protected outlets behind each mirror and now the inspector has called him on it. He can't put a GFCI there because it wouldn't be reachable to reset. His only option as I see it would be to install a gfci breaker to protect that lighting circuit. 300 gfci breakers that weren't in his bid is quite a hit. He said he's done it the same way on past jobs and never had an issue, I'm guessing the previous inspectors just weren't throrough.
 
titan1021 said:
That's what I am wondering as well, if the outlet is not readily accessible and the mirror would have to be removed it seems like the GFCI may not be needed. However, if a home owner or tenant was to remove the mirror for some reason and they were to use that receptacle then its right there at the sink.

A fellow electrical contractor is doing a multi-family unit job that consist of approx 300 apartments each will have a lighted mirror that is cord connected. He has put non gfci protected outlets behind each mirror and now the inspector has called him on it. He can't put a GFCI there because it wouldn't be reachable to reset. His only option as I see it would be to install a gfci breaker to protect that lighting circuit. 300 gfci breakers that weren't in his bid is quite a hit. He said he's done it the same way on past jobs and never had an issue, I'm guessing the previous inspectors just weren't throrough.
Click to expand...


GFCI breaker, or line-load from the countertop-serving GFCI. With the latter, you won't be able to use the circuit for another bath.
 
480sparky said:
GFCI breaker, or line-load from the countertop-serving GFCI. With the latter, you won't be able to use the circuit for another bath.
Click to expand...

IMO, if that receptacle is designed for the mirror then you would not be able to use the bath gfci cir. I ran into something similar to this years ago
 
titan1021 said:
That's what I am wondering as well, if the outlet is not readily accessible and the mirror would have to be removed it seems like the GFCI may not be needed. However, if a home owner or tenant was to remove the mirror for some reason and they were to use that receptacle then its right there at the sink.

A fellow electrical contractor is doing a multi-family unit job that consist of approx 300 apartments each will have a lighted mirror that is cord connected. He has put non gfci protected outlets behind each mirror and now the inspector has called him on it. He can't put a GFCI there because it wouldn't be reachable to reset. His only option as I see it would be to install a gfci breaker to protect that lighting circuit. 300 gfci breakers that weren't in his bid is quite a hit. He said he's done it the same way on past jobs and never had an issue, I'm guessing the previous inspectors just weren't throrough.
Click to expand...
I can see both sides of the issue, really.

If I were doing a whole complex (hundreds), I would probably put an extra gang at the switches and put in a dead front gfci for protection. I've done that quite a bit for recessed fan/light that's installed in shower.
 
titan1021 said:
That's what I am wondering as well, if the outlet is not readily accessible and the mirror would have to be removed it seems like the GFCI may not be needed. However, if a home owner or tenant was to remove the mirror for some reason and they were to use that receptacle then its right there at the sink.

A fellow electrical contractor is doing a multi-family unit job that consist of approx 300 apartments each will have a lighted mirror that is cord connected. He has put non gfci protected outlets behind each mirror and now the inspector has called him on it. He can't put a GFCI there because it wouldn't be reachable to reset. His only option as I see it would be to install a gfci breaker to protect that lighting circuit. 300 gfci breakers that weren't in his bid is quite a hit. He said he's done it the same way on past jobs and never had an issue, I'm guessing the previous inspectors just weren't throrough.
Click to expand...
Isn't that circuit already on an afci? Just making it a dual function isn't much of a cost increase. Or if that lighting circuit is just the bathroom and thus not afci, just throw it on with another dual function in the panel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top