Per the 2020 National Electric Code, your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump will now be required to be GFCI protected.
This came about as a result of multiple people being shocked from units that were not GFCI protected and notably the unfortunate death of 12 year old Vontrell Pargo who came in contact with an energized Air Conditioner while playing with friends.
This is one of many changes in the 2020 Electrical Code.
GFCI protection of 120 volt circuits has been required in many locations for a long time and that list of locations keeps getting longer and longer. The 2020 code will now require GFCI protection of both 125 and 250 volt receptacles (and outlets in the case of the outdoor HVAC) in all locations that require GFCI protection. For example, all basement receptacles will be required to be GFCI protected, which is a change from unfinished basements that required them.
It also includes 250 volt receptacles. This means your electric range located in the basement will need GFCI protection.
If you have questions about these requirements, or why a previous sentence said “125 and 250 volt,” and why I talked about “receptacles” as different from “outlets,” you might want to take my “Electrical Refresh and Reset for Home Inspectors,” course I will be doing on January 29th.
We will be discussing this important GFCI information as well as numerous other electrical issues you may be unaware of or can benefit from hearing repeated.
This will be 8 hours of electrical fun with my side-kick Dylan Chalk. Hope to see you there—at least virtually via Zoom.
By Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle
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Looking forward to your seminar 1-26-2021
Thanks for the article Charles. I think you meant electric dryer in the basement not range unless referring to a basement kitchen.
All dryers anywhere will require GFCI and if the range is in the basement or within 6 feet of a sink it also will need GFCI protection
Thanks Charles.
Thanks for this. My municipality doesn’t even enforce the 2020 electrical code… They are a bit behind.
If the electrician is state licensed they are required to follow the state adoption, or city whichever is more stringent under their license.
Hi Charles!
Are you going to be performing your Electrical Refresher course again in the future? Do you sell the power-point seperately? I’m finding so many new builds that are not compliant with 2020 NEC recently that I’m sure there is more stuff that I’m missing.
What also caught my attention is your comment to another poster that an appliance that is within 6-feet of a sink must be GFCI protected – for instance, if a refrigerator receptacle is a little over 6-feet from a sink but a normal-sized refrigerator installed is to be installed at this location, should the receptacle be GFCI protected?
I’m buying stock in whatever companies are manufacturing GFCIs/AFCIs at this point. Would probably be as good an investment as buying Simpson stock before the Northridge earthquake.
If the HVAC unit (14 Seer R-410A heat pump outdoor unit) is required to be GFCI protected, where is the neutral to be connected? The manual (page 26) show only a ground lug.
Pretty sure that when this all gets sorted out, a neutral will be required to HVAC units outdoors. Part of the problem with these units and nusiance tripping is that they already use the ground for very small amounts of neutral current. Most jurisdictions have extended the effective date to 2023.
Please direct me to the article that requires gfci protection for outside condensers.
Article 210.8 of the NEC clearly states “receptacles” it makes no mention of “outlets”.
This 2020 NEC and most jurisdictions have amended to not go into effect until 2023
Not all inverter hvac equipment is compatible with GFCIs which may randomly trip which as one author on the topic says, the equipment owner may be faced with the choice of an NEC 2020 compliant installation and an operational one. There are interim amendments for exceptions for such equipment.
Yes manufacturers and UL have until 2026 to get their act together.
What about electric water heaters I your basement?
Probably a good idea, just not required to be.