2008- Section 210.8 Changes- Part 1

[Paul W. Abernathy]

210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel
(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in (1) through ( shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.(2) Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use
(5) Unfinished basements—for purposes of this section, unfinished basements are defined as portions or areas of the basement not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and the like
Exception to (5): A receptacle supplying only a permanently installed fire alarm or burglar alarm system shall not be required to have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection.
Receptacles installed under the exception s to 210.8(A)(5) shall not be considered as meeting the requirements of 210.52(G).

Author’s Comment: The two exceptions permitting receptacles that were not readily accessible and single or duplex receptacles for two appliances within a dedicated space for each appliance to not have GFCI protection for personnel in garages and unfinished basements were deleted. The substantiation in the proposal and the discussion during the panel deliberation indicated that the present generation of GFCI devices do not have the problems of nuisance tripping that plagued earlier devices.

My comments: Let's hope this is SO.....I had a good conversation with the president of AIEI and he stated some sump pumps for example have a threshold of 30MA.....and could still trip a GFCI....should be interesting to see but now it is getting clearer in the newer GFCI..the exception for for Fridges and Freezers and dedicated equipment and so on NOT having to be GFCI is going to leave the NEC.....check out the ROC on Art. 200

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Wow...I really thought this one would have bought out the debate over the food in the fridge being wasted and so on...lol..when the GFCI requirement is mandated with no exceptions in garages.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Slow down Paul. CA is still using the 2002 NEC. . .

[Paul W. Abernathy]

lolololol....so is Virginia......I get excited when I see changes being made in the future....

I just remember the HUGE debate that came up over people being worried about a GFCI tripping and spoiling all the meat in the freezer and so on.....the CP of the NEC seems to agree that GFCI's being made TODAY don't trip for Nuiss. tripping anymore and I wanted to see what debate THAT bought....thehehe........