Required GFCIs outdoors

[Alex electrical student]

My teacher teaches that all receptacles 6.5 feet high from the ground level and lower have to be GFCI protected. I went and read article 210.8(3) which is the requirements for the outside receptacles. What i got from that articale is that all receptacles at any hight must be GFCI exept for one dedicated branch circuit for ice melting equipment that is not readily accessible and also meets requiments of 426.28

Who is right? The teacher or me?

 

[charlie b]

This is not really a matter of who is right and who is not. It is a matter of inadequate communication. If you look in 210.52(E), you see that you are required to put outdoor receptacles in certain dwelling unit locations. You also see that those receptacles must be less than 6.5 feet off the ground. Then you look in 210.8(A)(3) and see that all outdoor receptacles (with the one exception that you mentioned) must have GFCI protection.

My inference is that if, in addition to the required outdoor receptacles, you also installed some at 8 feet above ground, for example to serve Christmas lighting, then those must also be GFCI protected. I suspect that if you asked the teacher about this example, he or she would agree.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Alex electrical student]

There was no miscomunication.
My teacher tries to prove that any receptacle that are installed higher than 6 1/2 feet don't need to be GFCI protected. What he told me is that he thinks that the only use of GFCI is to protect the person when he is standing on the ground and makeing good conection with the ground.

 

[haskindm]

Your instructor may just be thinking of some of the older versions of the code. There used to be some silly option about only needing GFCI protection if the receptacle was more than 6.5 feet "above grade". There was much discusion about what that meant. What if it was less than 6.5 feet above grade but not accessible from grade (only accesible from inside the dwelling)? Fortunately that is gone and now outside = GFCI protected in most circumstances. Sometimes us "old dogs" forget about some of the changes. He may just need a polite reminder.

 

[Alex electrical student]

The teacher was trying to teach that any thing above 6 1/2 feet doesn't have to be GFCI protected. I look through all the old NEC code books. I found it in the NEC 1993. NEC 1993 doesn't require GFCI higher than 6 1/2 feet but it was changed in NEC 1996.

Thanks very much for your help.

 

[haskindm]

Remind your instructor that it is very possible for a person to be at "ground potential" without standing on the earth. Things like a concrete balcony, etc. That is why that 6.5' rule made no sense. Also remind him that commercial rooftop receptacles must also be GFCI protected.

 

[LarryFine]

Remind your instructor that it is very possible for a person to be at "ground potential" without standing on the earth.

It's also easy to bring the potential of the receptacle closer to the ground via power cords.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

How about an aluminum extension ladder. :smile: