GFCI required for garage door/swamp cooler

[davesnyder90]

I ran a single receptacle off a 20amp breaker to serve my swamp cooler. I ran another single receptacle off a separate 20 amp breaker to serve my garage door opener.

So, each of circuit serves 1 load only - garage door and swamp cooler.

Do they need GFCI receptacles or gfci breakers?

Swamp cooler outlet is 6' above grade (inside) and garage door outlet is on the ceiling. I used 12 gauge for everything.

Thanks,

 

[Stuart in MN]

First of all where are you located? The rules vary by state or country.

Assuming you're in the US and your state uses the 2011 NEC, all garage receptacles are required to have GFCI protection. That can be done either with a GFCI receptacle or a GFCI breaker back in the panel.

Where is the outlet for the swamp cooler? You said it's inside, but do you mean inside the garage? If so it also requires a GFCI receptacle or GFCI breaker, your choice. If it's inside the house that may be different.

There's nothing about receptacles above 5.5' in the 2011 NEC that I can find.

 

[davesnyder90]

Yeah, it's inside the garage and there is a sub panel in the garage serving it also. Located in unincorporated San Bernardino County, CA.

Thanks,

 

[pattenp]

Will you be so kind to cite the code section that says outlets over 5.5 ft in a garage don't need to be GFCI protected? Because that's news to me.

According to NEC2011, over 5.5' you are good. Unless there is some local rule.

 

[Walty]

Never mind, bad info. I was thinking tamper resistant plugs for some reason. + my brother in law (journeyman electrician) told me over 5.5' didn't need GFCI. Gonna have to btch him out for that one. Guess it's off to the garage to add a few more GFCI's as my inspection is on Monday.

 

[Norcal]

If your in CA, until Jan 2014 your on the 2008 NEC.

210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for
Personnel.
FPN: See 215.9 for ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection
for personnel on feeders.
(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and
20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in
(1) through (8) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter
protection for personnel.
(1) Bathrooms
(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
(3) Outdoors
Exception to (3): Receptacles that are not readily accessible
and are supplied by a dedicated branch circuit for
electric snow-melting or deicing equipment shall be permitted
to be installed in accordance with 426.28.
(4) Crawl spaces — at or below grade level
(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.
FPN: See 760.41(B) and 760.121(B) for power supply
requirements for fire alarm systems.
Receptacles installed under the exception to
210.8(A)(5) shall not be considered as meeting the
requirements of 210.52(G).
(6) Kitchens — where the receptacles are installed to serve
the countertop surfaces
(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
(8) Boathouses
(B) Other Than Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, singlephase,
15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations
specified in (1) through (5) shall have ground-fault
circuit-interrupter protection for personnel:
(1) Bathrooms
(2) Kitchens
(3) Rooftops
(4) Outdoors


Underline by me, please notice there are no exceptions.

Edit #2 CA bans exceptions to the CEC, CA Elect. Code, but a few cities do it anyway, SF has some, & the City of Napa is banning Zinsco in new solar installs.

 

[low gas]

my first post hi family and yes i just got called on a job for 15 and 20 amp circuits . basically stating if its not gfci protected it must be gfci protected,,,,does anyone know the code on whole house fan in new construction if so what is the min cfm, i had an inspector tell me a bath fan would pass <<yea really ??? i havnt looked up code yet ,,thanks

 

[low gas]

i meant gfci protected it must be afci protected