Readily accessible GFCI receptacles

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John Deere Man

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As under the 2011 NEC under Art,210.8 & under definitions under Art,100.
Do you all think that it would be accetable to install a GFCI receptacle in an "appliance garage" in a kitchen?
 
Not only would it be acceptable, it may even be required. That last part is open to debate. You must use GFCI protection for all receptacles that serve countertop spaces. You don't get to take credit for a receptacle within an appliance garage as meeting the requirements for countertop receptacles. But that receptacle still serves an appliance that sits on the countertop. So you might say that 210.8(A)(6) would call for GFCI protection of that receptacle.

But regardless of the outcome of a debate on that interpretation, my reading of the definition of "readily accessible" tells me that it is OK to put GFCI receptacles within appliance garages. My view is that the toaster (or other appliance) that is stored in that space is not an "obstacle" in the sense of the definition.
 
An appliance garage is a cabinet that is below the upper cabinets that has a door to hide the appliances that would go inside this cabinet such as blinders, toasters, coffee maker, mixer, etc... The reason I would say if you could NOT have a GFCI receptacle in it is because of these appliances that you would have to remove to gain access to this receptacle to test or renew.
 
I think the question is more if the gfci can be in the appliance garage.

Yes, as long as you can get to it without remove screws etc. I prefer to keep the gfci outside the appliance garage.
 
John Deere Man said:
An appliance garage is a cabinet that is below the upper cabinets that has a door to hide the appliances that would go inside this cabinet such as blinders, toasters, coffee maker, mixer, etc... The reason I would say if you could NOT have a GFCI receptacle in it is because of these appliances that you would have to remove to gain access to this receptacle to test or renew.
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I would say that if appliances and receptacles are in a cabinet, that you would not need GFCI protection. They are not countertop receptacles.
 
John Deere Man said:
The reason I would say you could NOT have a GFCI receptacle in it is because of these appliances that you would have to remove to gain access to this receptacle to test or renew.
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I think you can reach into the appliance garage and hit the test button on the GFCI receptacle, even if there were a toaster stored inside. It boils down to an interpretation of the word, "obstacles," as that word is used in the article 100 definition of "readily accessible." I don't see an appliance that can sit on a kitchen countertop as being an "obstacle." So I don't think an inspector should be able to fail an installation because there was a GFCI receptacle inside the appliance garage. A different question is whether an inspector should be able to fail an installation because the receptacle inside the appliance garage did not have GFCI protection.
 
jumper said:
I would say that if appliances and receptacles are in a cabinet, that you would not need GFCI protection. They are not countertop receptacles.
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This is the thing I said earlier is open to debate. It is one thing to say that you need a receptacle within two feet of any point along the countertop, and that the receptacle inside the appliance garage cannot be used to satisfy that requirement. It is a different thing to say that the receptacle inside the appliance garage does, or does not, serve the countertop. You don't operate the toaster or the blender while that appliance is still inside the appliance garage. You move it outside the appliance garage to a location on the countertop, and then use it. In my mind, that brings the GFCI requirement into play.
 
jumper said:
I would say that if appliances and receptacles are in a cabinet, that you would not need GFCI protection. They are not countertop receptacles.
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They are counter top recep, because the appliance garage is on the countertop. I don't believe you will find many inspectors who will agree with you. Think about why we have gfci protection. The appliance will be pulled out of the garage to be used on the counter. IMO the recep. ought to count as the required outlets in 210.52 but I understand that it does not.
 
charlie b said:
You don't operate the toaster or the blender while that appliance is still inside the appliance garage. You move it outside the appliance garage to a location on the countertop, and then use it.
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Charlie,
Have you never had kids? I could absolutely see mine trying to use the toaster while it was still in the garage.......
:0)
 
charlie b said:
This is the thing I said earlier is open to debate. It is one thing to say that you need a receptacle within two feet of any point along the countertop, and that the receptacle inside the appliance garage cannot be used to satisfy that requirement. It is a different thing to say that the receptacle inside the appliance garage does, or does not, serve the countertop. You don't operate the toaster or the blender while that appliance is still inside the appliance garage. You move it outside the appliance garage to a location on the countertop, and then use it. In my mind, that brings the GFCI requirement into play.
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Dennis Alwon said:
They are counter top recep, because the appliance garage is on the countertop. I don't believe you will find many inspectors who will agree with you. Think about why we have gfci protection. The appliance will be pulled out of the garage to be used on the counter. IMO the recep. ought to count as the required outlets in 210.52 but I understand that it does not.
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I think GFCI protection is a good idea, but if it is in a cabinet with doors, I do not see it required.

There is no provision that says just because an appliance sits on a counter top you have to plug it into a counter top receptacle.

I can easily plug an appliance into my DW/disposal receptacle and use it on the counter top. The code merely says says you have to provide receptacles so that would not be necessary.
 
jumper said:
There is no provision that says just because an appliance sits on a counter top you have to plug it into a counter top receptacle.
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Agreed. But what the rule does say is that if the receptacles "are installed to serve the (kitchen) countertop surfaces," they need to have GFCI protection. The space inside the appliance garage is still on the countertop. The appliances stored therein are used on the countertop.
 
charlie b said:
Agreed. But what the rule does say is that if the receptacles "are installed to serve the (kitchen) countertop surfaces," they need to have GFCI protection. The space inside the appliance garage is still on the countertop. The appliances stored therein are used on the countertop.
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Okay, Charlie, I was not positive what an "appliance garage" was so before I argued anymore I did a quick search.

OP said it was a cabinet, I assumed that meant a full cabinet. It looks like this "garage" is nothing but a door extension off a cabinet using the counter top as as the base. That is not a cabinet IMO.

GFCI required if this is the case.
 
jumper said:
It looks like this "garage" is nothing but a door extension off a cabinet using the counter top as as the base.
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Yeah, it is a garage.:D

You leave the appliances plugged in, you open the door slide them out, then slide them back in.

It still can be part of a cabinet, but not always.

appliance_garage.jpg
 
I'll state the obviosly correct answer here....aren't all garage receptacles rated 120 volt 15-20 amps requiredto have gfci protection in residential?
 
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