Where and Why Do We Need GFCI Protection?

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GFCI protection has been around for quite some time now. But, as the NEC is ever evolving and changing as situations dictate, its worth revisiting to explain where they are required. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin talks about where we need to be installing GFCI protection in a residential application.

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Every 3 years, the NEC comes out with a new edition to follow. This is done to allow the installation/utilization of new equipment, materials, and installation methods. Every code change tends to be reasonably extensive, and the 2023 National Electrical Code changes are no different! Always make sure you are installing your electrical work per the newest version of the NEC (2023 NEC being the most current!).
Before we get started into what the code says regarding GFCI, lets explain what a GFCI device is. A GFCI receptacle senses the imbalance between what is going out and what is coming back on an electrical circuit. Any difference means that something has gone where it shouldn’t and poses a danger to personnel. If that imbalance is within a few milliamps, then the breaker (or receptacle) trips and cuts off any source of power and protects the people working on our using the circuit.
GFCI are required to be installed generally in most places where exposure to water can exacerbate the problems of using an electrical outlet. Having said that, GFCI protection is usually limited to non-lighting circuits, as lighting circuitry is generally overhead and the potential for you having to be standing in a puddle of water while actually working on a light fixture is considerably lessened. Article 210.8 of the NEC is where we can find requirements for GFCI protection and we will be speaking mostly from a residential standpoint today (article 210.8 B, C, D, E expand on GFCI protection in other than dwelling units. Article 210.8 (A) says ALL 125-250v receptacles installed in the following locations shall be GFCI protected:
1. Bathrooms
2. Garages and accessory buildings tha have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms
3. Outdoors
4. Crawl spaces- at or below grade level
5. Basements
6. Kitchens
7. Areas with sinks and permanent provisions for food prep, beverage prep, or cooking
8. Boathouses
9. Bathtubs or shower stalls- where receptacles are installed within 6 ft of the outside edge of the bathtub or shower stall
10. Laundry areas
11. Indoor damp and wet locations
So, we can see that the requirements (for a DWELLING UNIT) require GFCI protection really anywhere where there is ready access to water sources or where water could possibly be near any electrical outlet. There are a few exceptions listed, one of which being a receptacle supplying power to a security system as the possibility of nuisance tripping of the circuit could cause further problems.
Also worth of note here, is the requirement that ALL of the receptacles in a kitchen now be GFCI protected. In recent years, the requirement was only for receptacles serving the countertops as well as those within 6 ft of a sink, the new 2023 NEC now requires ALL receptacles in kitchens to be GFCI protected (much like kitchens in other than dwelling units).
We hope this has been an insightful look into GFCI protection in a dwelling unit. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed here on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.