GFCI Receptacles

[Ferrino]

We recently moved into a house built in 1980-ish and the receptacles in the garage are all of the standard, non-GFCI type (3-pronged, with ground connection). We only have GFCI in our bathrooms

I'm remodeling the garage at the moment and was wondering if it would be advisable to switch these all out to GFCI versions?

Thanks!

 

[brokenknee]

Not an electrician, but if you do want GFCI in your garage you would only need to put one on the beginning of the run, all outlets after that would also be protected

 

[Al Bundy]

It's not only advisable, it is required by code if you have a concrete floor. Install a GFI at the beginning of the run and subsequent outlets will be protected. Or install a GFI breaker in the panel. Those are a bit pricey though.

 

[rlitman]

It's not only advisable, it is required by code if you have a concrete floor. Install a GFI at the beginning of the run and subsequent outlets will be protected. Or install a GFI breaker in the panel. Those are a bit pricey though.

It's required "today". Not required if those outlets were installed years ago.

Today, you need GFI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, unfinished spaces (including a garage and an unfinished basement), and outdoors, among other things.

 

[BigJohn20]

It's required "today". Not required if those outlets were installed years ago.

Today, you need GFI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, unfinished spaces (including a garage and an unfinished basement), and outdoors, among other things.

Depending on what he does to the circuit(s) in his garage and how the rehab code is in his state, he may be required to bring the circuit(s) up to the current electrical code.

 

[Ferrino]

Thanks - it sounds like a single GFCI receptacle at the start of the garage circuit would be easiest and cheapest for me to install.

Couple more questions:

1. How would I determine the sequence of the receptacles in my garage? I'm pretty sure all 5 of them are served by a single breaker.

2. I assume devices that plug into multi-outlet power strips are all still protected by the "upstream" GFCI?

 

[brokenknee]

First, verify they are all on the same circuit. Turn off the breaker then check each outlet. Once you verified they are all on one circuit I would start with the one closest to the box. Disconnect the outlet turn the power back on and check to see if any of the remaining four have power.

Yes anything plugged into a GFCI would be protected.

 

[Norcal]

It's not only advisable, it is required by code if you have a concrete floor. Install a GFI at the beginning of the run and subsequent outlets will be protected. Or install a GFI breaker in the panel. Those are a bit pricey though.

There is no NEC code requiring GFCI protection where there is concrete that being said, when replacing a receptacle in a garage where they were installed prior to GFCI's being required, triggers the requirement that GFCI(s) be installed.

One of the original justifications for requiring GFCI's in garages was that power tools used outdoors would be plugged in the garage receptacles.

 

[acer66]

You might want to think about installing more than one GFCI in that run depending what you have connected there because once that one GFCI trips all receptacles are dead.

 

[wssix99]

Yes anything plugged into a GFCI would be protected.

... if its wired properly. The GFCI will come with instructions. You'll use different screws on the outlet if you want it to protect downstream outlets vs. being a stand-alone outlet. If you kook this up to protect downstream, you should check each outlet along the chain to make sure it will trip the GFCI. (You can get a three prong outlet tester with a GFCI trip button at any hardware store - they are really handy for this.)

 

[Ferrino]

Thankyou very much for all the advice! I'll definitely be investing in a tester too.

 

[rlitman]

... if its wired properly. The GFCI will come with instructions. You'll use different screws on the outlet if you want it to protect downstream outlets vs. being a stand-alone outlet. If you kook this up to protect downstream, you should check each outlet along the chain to make sure it will trip the GFCI. (You can get a three prong outlet tester with a GFCI trip button at any hardware store - they are really handy for this.)

You don't have to test the downstream outlets.
If the downstream outlets normally have power, and then lose power when you trip the GFI by pressing the test button, then they are protected.
You are supposed to place a sticker labeling the downstream outlets as "GFI Protected" on each downstream outlet. The GFI will come with a sheet of stickers for this purpose.

 

[brokenknee]

... if its wired properly. The GFCI will come with instructions. You'll use different screws on the outlet if you want it to protect downstream outlets vs. being a stand-alone outlet. If you kook this up to protect downstream, you should check each outlet along the chain to make sure it will trip the GFCI. (You can get a three prong outlet tester with a GFCI trip button at any hardware store - they are really handy for this.)

Yes, if it is wired correctly.

 

[wssix99]

You don't have to test the downstream outlets.
If the downstream outlets normally have power, and then lose power when you trip the GFI by pressing the test button, then they are protected.
You are supposed to place a sticker labeling the downstream outlets as "GFI Protected" on each downstream outlet. The GFI will come with a sheet of stickers for this purpose.

You do have to test the outlets downstream if you want to be 100% sure the GFCI capability will work at all the downstream outlets. If an outlet is not grounded properly or the ground is broken along the chain, the GFCI will not protect it.

http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_gfcis_work/

 

[sberry]

A GFCI is specifically designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system, and it monitors the imbalance of current between the ungrounded (hot) and grounded (neutral) conductor of a given circuit. Don't let the name confuse you — these devices will operate on a circuit that does not have an equipment-grounding conductor.
Thats a quote from that page, read it again.

 

[Teken]

The only thing I can add to this thread is . . . Buy a quality GFCI receptacle outlet! This will save a lot of hair on your head guarding against nuisance trips . . .

Cooper, Leviton, Hubble are all great brands . . .

 

[malibu101]

A GFCI is specifically designed to protect people against electric shock from an electrical system, and it monitors the imbalance of current between the ungrounded (hot) and grounded (neutral) conductor of a given circuit. Don't let the name confuse you — these devices will operate on a circuit that does not have an equipment-grounding conductor.
Thats a quote from that page, read it again.

Excellent summation.
As an info note the imbalance current is 6 milliamps.
Any current flow over 6 milliamps to something other than its intended return path (neutral in this 120V case) will case the GFCI to trip.

 

[Alchymist]

Excellent summation.
As an info note the imbalance current is 6 milliamps.
Any current flow over 6 milliamps to something other than its intended return path (neutral in this 120V case) will case the GFCI to trip.

Some GFCIs require as high as 20 MA to trip. And it will vary from one GFCI to the next. The tester I use has a series of increasing steps starting at 5 MA.

 

[malibu101]

Some GFCIs require as high as 20 MA to trip. And it will vary from one GFCI to the next. The tester I use has a series of increasing steps starting at 5 MA.

Yes, you are absolutly correct there is of course manufacturing tolerances and I did not bother to mention about "equipment protection" GFI which can trip up to 30 MA as few people know about these versus "normal" GFI protection at ~6MA.

Good reading- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device

A direct copy and paste from the above link-
In the United States, the National Electrical Code requires GFCI devices intended to protect people to interrupt the circuit if the leakage current exceeds a range of 4–6 mA of current (the trip setting is typically 5 mA) within 25 ms. A GFCI device which protects equipment (not people) is allowed to trip as high as 30 mA of current; this is known as an Equipment Protective Device (EPD). "RCDs" with trip currents as high as 500 mA are sometimes deployed in environments (such as computing centers) where a lower threshold would carry an unacceptable risk of accidental trips. These high-current RCDs serve for equipment and fire protection instead of protection against the risks of electrical shocks.

I have used these equipment type on commercial snow melting equpment.

 

[Ferrino]

OK, I'll bite - what's a good brand of GFCI to buy?

 

[Alchymist]

OK, I'll bite - what's a good brand of GFCI to buy?

I've had good luck with Cooper.