New garage circuit for plug in Fluorescent lights

[tacomabob]

Friend wants me to add a new 15A circuit in his garage with 5 outlets to plug in 4ft. fluorescent lights when he does pinstriping. Should this circuit be GFIC protected ? Will the lights trip the GFIC when he plugs them in ?

 

[VHF]

According to NEC 2008 and newer, all 120V recepticles in the garage--including those in "inaccesible" locations--should be GFCI protected.

Will he have 5 or 10 fixtures plugged in? It should be OK, but tripping is possible--lots of factors including the number and quality of the fixtures and total length of the circuit.

Would suggest the use of a GFCI breaker so he doesn't need to get out a ladder if it does trip!

 

[pfarber]

According to NEC 2008 and newer, all 120V recepticles in the garage--including those in "inaccesible" locations--should be GFCI protected.

*should* or *must*?

 

[Stuart in MN]

The NEC uses the word "shall."

Some people may ask if it's an attached or detached garage, saying there is a difference if the garage is detached, but there's not - the NEC says GFCIs are required for all 120vac, 15 amp and 20 amp circuits in "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."

 

[tacomabob]

He has 8 or 9 ,4' lights that he will be plugging in. One plug will be on a side wall ,so I couldm put the GFIC outlet there as the first outlet in the circuit.
Is there a particular brand of GFIC outlet that would be less prone to tripping from fluorescent lights ?

 

[ishiboo]

It's obnoxious, but I see the point.

For lighting, it's basically useless if these are ceiling lights. Except when you have a plug on the ceiling, the Next Guy (tm) then decides he'll put a drop cord or cord reel on the ceiling, and suddenly that outlet is at a moist ground level.

I always think if nuisance trips when i think of GFCIs for stuff like this, but to be honest I haven't had a nuisance trip in years and I have a lot of GFCIs in use these days, some very inexpensive.

 

[ishiboo]

He has 8 or 9 ,4' lights that he will be plugging in. One plug will be on a side wall ,so I couldm put the GFIC outlet there as the first outlet in the circuit.
Is there a particular brand of GFIC outlet that would be less prone to tripping from fluorescent lights ?

I have cheap GFCIs from Smart Electrician ($4.99) GFCIs to $20 Leviton's and none of them trip with fluorescents. I have strings of lamp base fixtures with 26W CFLs, strings of outlets with shop lights every 8', etc... none are an issue.

I think you'll be fine!

 

[vartz04]

do they sell 30 amp double pole gfci breakers? I honestly would rather just put one on the main panel and be done with all of this GFCI ****.

 

[ishiboo]

do they sell 30 amp double pole gfci breakers? I honestly would rather just put one on the main panel and be done with all of this GFCI ****.

I think you mean 20 amp single pole.

 

[pattenp]

do they sell 30 amp double pole gfci breakers? I honestly would rather just put one on the main panel and be done with all of this GFCI ****.

Yes they are available. Not sure of what your thinking is in using one to be done with all of this GFCI **** as you say.

 

[vartz04]

I have multiple circuits in my garage, 2 dedicated 20 amp outlets, 1 misc 20 amp outlet circuit and 1 20 amp lighting circuit.

My lights arent hard wired, I was just wondering if it would be cheaper to use a 30 amp double pole breaker that was GFCI capable to GFCI protect the whole garage, or to buy the 4 GFCI's I would need to protect all of the outlets. Last time I looked they were about $20 a piece.

I replaced all of the outlets in the garage when I redid the wiring with just standard outlets (didn't have the extra cash at the time for the gfci's) There were no GFCI's in the garage when I bought the house. So I need to do the breakers or the oulets here at some point.

 

[ishiboo]

I have multiple circuits in my garage, 2 dedicated 20 amp outlets, 1 misc 20 amp outlet circuit and 1 20 amp lighting circuit.

My lights arent hard wired, I was just wondering if it would be cheaper to use a 30 amp double pole breaker that was GFCI capable to GFCI protect the whole garage, or to buy the 4 GFCI's I would need to protect all of the outlets. Last time I looked they were about $20 a piece.

I replaced all of the outlets in the garage when I redid the wiring with just standard outlets (didn't have the extra cash at the time for the gfci's) There were no GFCI's in the garage when I bought the house. So I need to do the breakers or the oulets here at some point.

No, your 20A outlets have 20A (#12) wiring, you could not breaker it at 30A.

A double pole GFCI could only be used if these were MWBC circuits, otherwise you will need single pole GFCIs as you need separate neutrals.

Two GFCI breakers will be more expensive than four GFCI outlets, though there may be convenience advantages to having breakers, or wiring if the circuit splits and there is no where to put a GFCI and have all remaining outlets on the circuit easily downstream of it.

 

[VHF]

He has 8 or 9 ,4' lights that he will be plugging in. One plug will be on a side wall ,so I couldm put the GFIC outlet there as the first outlet in the circuit.

That would be fine.

Is there a particular brand of GFIC outlet that would be less prone to tripping from fluorescent lights ?

I can't recommend a specific brand, but newer GFCIs seem to be less prone to false tripping.

 

[VHF]

...I was just wondering if it would be cheaper to use a 30 amp double pole breaker that was GFCI capable to GFCI protect the whole garage, or to buy the 4 GFCI's I would need to protect all of the outlets.

Buying 4 individual GFCI's is the cheapest way to go.

If you could even find a 30A double-pole GFCI with neutral, it would be very $$$. (The 50A double-pole GFCI for hot tubs do not a have a neutral, so they wouldn't work with any downstream 120V loads.)

There are GFCI main breakers for commercial applications, but once again $$$ and not as sensititve so you don't get the same level of shock protection when you drop your hair dryer into the tub.

 

[madosta]

If you have a lighting circuit with a switch and receptacles in the ceiling, I am assuming you would need to protect the switch with a GFCI as well?

But if they are hardwired, you would not?

 

[ishiboo]

If you have a lighting circuit with a switch and receptacles in the ceiling, I am assuming you would need to protect the switch with a GFCI as well?

But if they are hardwired, you would not?

I don't think the switch would need a GFCI. This may be different if it were a qualified "wet location" but the wall of a garage is not.

 

[vartz04]

Ah I didn't think about the fact that 220 is going to the garage and the outlets are 120. Ill just buy the outlets.

To clarify to whoever told me I have 12/2 on the circuits you are correct but I was talking about using the 30 amp gfci breaker in the main panel before the sub panel (10/3 going from the main to sub) where everything breaks into 20 amp circuits.