fqp25 Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Found a 20 Amp outlet in a garage with no GFCI protection. The panel was only a few feet away and I tracked it down to a designated breaker for a freezer. Even though the compressor in a fridge/freezer could trip a GFCI on start-up, doesn't this outlet still have to be GFCI protected since it's in a garage? Aren't the newer GFCI Outlets better at handling fridge/freezers than the ones in years past? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randynavarro Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 This has been discussed before. Because its a "permanent appliance", the outlet doesn't need to be protected. If its a duplex receptacle, some would say that just one half would be unprotected and the other would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Originally posted by fqp25 Found a 20 Amp outlet in a garage with no GFCI protection. The panel was only a few feet away and I tracked it down to a designated breaker for a freezer. Even though the compressor in a fridge/freezer could trip a GFCI on start-up, doesn't this outlet still have to be GFCI protected since it's in a garage? Aren't the newer GFCI Outlets better at handling fridge/freezers than the ones in years past? According to the 2005 NEC (210., all of the receptacles in a garage have to be GFCI protected except those that aren't accessible and those that serve an appliance that isn't easily moved from place to place. If it's a single appliance, then it should plug into a singlex receptacle. If there are two such appliances, they can plug into a duplex receptacle. This rule and the exception have got nothing whatsoever to do with motors. (That's a persistent myth.) The present generation of GFCIs doesnââ¬â¢t trip in response to motor loads unless there's a ground fault. IMPORTANT NOTE: In the 2008 NEC, these exceptions are going away. All receptacles in garages will require GFCI protection regardless of their accessibility or the presence of non-easily-moved appliances. That means that fridges, freezers, washers, central vacs, etc, etc will have to be plugged into GFCI-protected receptacles. -Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector57 Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Not required (yet) to be protected. Most garage outlets are on the same circuit as front and rear outdoor outlets and therefore will likely get tripped by the Christmas lights and you lose the $600 bucks of beef in the deep freeze over the weekend. Common sense tells me I don't want to create an opportunity to shut down essential equipment. Even when the new requirement for protection is phased in, a SEPERATE GFCI outlet for the freezer would be smart. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Originally posted by inspector57 Not required (yet) to be protected. Most garage outlets are on the same circuit as front and rear outdoor outlets and therefore will likely get tripped by the Christmas lights and you lose the $600 bucks of beef in the deep freeze over the weekend. Common sense tells me I don't want to create an opportunity to shut down essential equipment. Even when the new requirement for protection is phased in, a SEPERATE GFCI outlet for the freezer would be smart. Jim I think that's a darn good idea. Maybe even recommend a freezer alarm as well. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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