Section 426.28 was revised for the 1999 Code. Section 426.28 states that ground-fault protection of equipment is to be provided for fixed outdoor electric deicing and snow-melting equipment. Rather than protecting the entire branch circuit, the ground-fault protection requirement is focused on protecting just the equipment itself. This affords the manufacturer and the user an option of providing both circuit and equipment protection, or just the required equipment protection. This required protection for fixed outdoor deicing and snow-melting equipment may be accomplished by using circuit breakers equipped with ground-fault equipment protection (GFEP) or an integral device supplied as part of the deicing or snow-melting equipment that is sensitive to leakage currents in the magnitude of 6 milliamperes to 50 milliamperes [referred to by UL as ground-fault equipment protection circuit interrupters (GFEPCI)]. These protection devices, if applied properly, will substantially reduce the risk of a fire being started by low-level electrical arcing.
It is important to understand that this required equipment protection is not the same as a ground-fault circuit interrupter used for personal protection that trips at 5 milliamperes (?1 milliampere).
For further information regarding ground-fault equipment protection used to comply with 426.28 and 427.22, refer to the UL General Information for Electrical Equipment Directory (White Book), category KCZI.
