Laundry room, wash tub receptacle

[Shawn Rowe]

Scenario: Laundry room with washing machine and wash tub with small counter space. The washer is on one dedicated outlet but that is the only outlet in entire laundry room. Home built in 2009.

Questions: Is another receptacle required in a laundry room if a wash tub with small counter exists?

Since the washer dedicated outlet is within the 6' arc, should I assume that it should be changed to a GFCI protected duplex.?


I know NEC 210.8 states that all receptacles should be GFCI for any receptacle within 6' arc. But there is no accessible receptacle in the laundry room besides the dedicated washer outlet.

Thanks in advance!

[Robert Meier]

Yes, GFCI protection is required within 6' of the laundry sink. Here are the requirements for a laundry receptacle in the 2008 NEC:

210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel.

210.8(A)(7) Laundry, utility, and wet bar sinks — where the receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the sink

210.52(F) Laundry Areas. In dwelling units, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for the laundry.
Exception No. 1: In a dwelling unit that is an apartment or living area in a multifamily building where laundry facilities are provided on the premises and are available to all building occupants, a laundry receptacle shall not be required.
Exception No. 2: In other than one-family dwellings where laundry facilities are not to be installed or permitted, a laundry receptacle shall not be required.

210.11(C) Dwelling Units.
(1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits shall be provided for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B).
(2) Laundry Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F). This circuit shall have no other outlets.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Now let me translate...lol......Yes if within 6' it has to be on GFCI.....No the single receptacle is all that is required .