GFI Circuit Question

[Junkman]

I am trying to get the house up to date. I was thinking that some of the latest standards for GFI circuits should be changed in the house. What rooms are GFI circuits now required? Presently, the garage and all outside outlets are protected as well as the bathroom outlets. What about the Kitchen? Do bathroom lighting fixtures need to have GFI protection also?? How about garage lighting???? The house was built in 1983, and I know that some of the codes have changed.

 

[rico304]

In Maine, you must have two GFCI protected circuits in the kitchen. I generally do this by starting on left of the sink and the other right of the sink. The lights do not have to be GFCI anywhere. "I believe" your microwave (which I always run as a seperate homerun to panel) does not have to be GFCI. (as long as it is on it's own circuit) Same for the refer.
Garage outlets inside and out must be GFCI, not lights. If you have switched outlets in the ceiling for lights, they do not have to be GFCI, unless you use those outlets to run one of those drop cord outlets.
I believe all basement must be GFCI (again, outlets only)

Bedrooms must be on what they call Arcfault breakers. Lights do not. Arcfault only comes in breaker form and are costly. You can also get a GFCI breaker to change things over (if you don't know which outlet starts the run, or if you don't like the looks of them) Much more money than outlet though.
(If any of this is wrong, don't tell my local inspector )

disclaimer: I have never run wires in my life and have no idea what a GFCI is or what it stands for. The afore mentioned materials were pulled out of my
A_ S and I will not post any pics of that, so don't ask!

 

[OhioTC18]

I am trying to get the house up to date. I was thinking that some of the latest standards for GFI circuits should be changed in the house. What rooms are GFI circuits now required? Presently, the garage and all outside outlets are protected as well as the bathroom outlets. What about the Kitchen? Do bathroom lighting fixtures need to have GFI protection also?? How about garage lighting???? The house was built in 1983, and I know that some of the codes have changed.

Junk,
New code (for the home) is as follows:

All outdoor outlets
All bathroom outlets
All Basement outlets (with some exceptions)
All garage outlets that are readily accessible (that does not include garage door)
All outlets serving kitchen counter tops
All outlets within 6' of a wet bar
All outlets within 6' of a laundry sink

Of course there may be a few exceptions to the above, there always is. Lighting for the most part is not required to be GFCI protected. A bath fan or fan/light probably needs to be, according to the maunfacturers instructions and UL listing. Some fans are not permitted to be in the tub/shower area.
That is the list, as far as I can remember from the 2005 NEC

 

[Junkman]

I have a can light in the shower that has a "wet area" glass diffuser.... When it was installed in 1983, it didn't need to be GFI. Would that be required today?? What is the reasoning for the cellar requirement???? What if the basement is finished as a rooms.

 

[OhioTC18]

If it has the glass lens trim, I would guess the GFCI requirement would not apply, even today.
The reason for the cellar/basement is the ability for the concrete to conduct so well. Single outlets for freezers and sump pumps would be exempt.
The finished portions of the basement would be exempt as well. I guess they figure you wont be using power tools in that spot.

 

[AndyM]

If it has the glass lens trim, I would guess the GFCI requirement would not apply, even today.
The reason for the cellar/basement is the ability for the concrete to conduct so well. Single outlets for freezers and sump pumps would be exempt.

I've posted this before at the other place, but for anyone who may have missed it, here's a picture of acceptable single outlets without a GFCI in a basement. By using the single outlet in these locations, where nothing else can be plugged into them, they are exempt from having a GFCI.

This is my prefered method of plugging in sump pumps in the basement... I just don't feel comfortable having such an important item like my sump pumps able to be tripped by a GFCI.

(Our resident electrical inspector has been to my house... I know better not to have things wired to code! )

 

[Junkman]

What am I not seeing??????

 

[OhioTC18]

I've posted this before at the other place, but anyone who may have missed it, here's a picture of acceptable single outlets without a GFCI in a basement. This is my prefered method of plugging in sump pumps in the basement... I just don't feel comfortable having such an important item able to be tripped by a GFCI.

(Our resident electrical inspector has been to my house... I know better not to have things wired to code! )

Andy, You're right to NOT have the sump pumps connected toa GFCI circuit. At least with your arrangement that meets one of the Basement exceptions.

 

[bczoom]

Junk,
New code (for the home) is as follows:

All outdoor outlets
All bathroom outlets
All Basement outlets (with some exceptions)
All garage outlets that are readily accessible (that does not include garage door)
All outlets serving kitchen counter tops
All outlets within 6' of a wet bar
All outlets within 6' of a laundry sink

Of course there may be a few exceptions to the above, there always is. Lighting for the most part is not required to be GFCI p rotected. A bath fan or fan/light probably needs to be, according to the maunfacturers instructions and UL listing. Some fans are not permitted to be in the tub/shower area.
That is the list, as far as I can remember from the 2005 NEC

OK, Now, as the NEC changes, what are we as homeowners expected to do? Do we need to become compliant or are we grandfathered in under the codes in place at time of our building?

 

[OhioTC18]

OK, Now, as the NEC changes, what are we as homeowners expected to do? Do we need to become compliant or are we grandfathered in under the codes in place at time of our building?

Brian,
Here's how we look at things in my locale. What code was it built under and does it still comply?
I know a lot of home inspectors that do real estate inspections. When they go out to look at a property they'll write all kinds of things up and scare the bejeebies out of buyers with their report. Of course the buyers end up calling me to see how unsafe it is. I always tell them that if that inspector was really that good, he'd be working for me

When was it built? What code was it built under? Does it still comply? That's all I need to ask. So in answer to your question, in my area, you are grandfathered in. Now if you want to go to the expense of upgrading, you're that much better off. The only thing that is not grandfathered in Ohio is smoke detectors. If you pull a permit for anything the smokes must be added according to the newest code. If it saves one life somewhere it was worth it.

 

[Junkman]

I was told by our local building inspector that whenever you make a change to the building and pull a permit for that change, such as adding another room, that the electrical has to be upgraded. I took that to mean that the change had to be to current standards, but I didn't ask if the whole house had to be brought up to current standards. When I changed the incoming service from overhead to underground, I had to bring everything up to the then present code. I sure am glad that at that time the ARC breakers weren't required at that time. I have been told that they are very expensive, costing about $300 each!!! I have found them on eBay for much more reasonable prices, but still don't know if it is worth the expense to upgrade. My thoughts are to keep the house up to code as best as I can, so if and when we sell, there is less for the home inspector to bitch about not being up to current code. Besides, it is cheaper to do it now than later. Buyers are getting wise to what it costs to do upgrades and repairs afterwards and will hold the sellers to the fire for that reason...

 

[OhioTC18]

Junk,
Your local codes could differ from here, but I can find no legal way to make a homeowner upgrade just because they wanted to do a minor remodel. Now the smoke detectors are another story in itself.