Garage GFCI on door openers NEC 2008

Specific Inspection Topics Electrical Inspections
1

This question may sound a little confusing but I will try. I did an inspection of new detached garage wiring built under NEC2008 codes. There were two circuits, one went to the readily accessible receptacles and the other went to the automatic garage door openers that were also GFCI protected fropm receptacles mounted in the 10’ ceiling. In this case, there was no service door or windows in the garage.

Looking at 210.8, there is no mention about readily accessible receptacles. However, if the GFCI for the garage door would trip for whatever reason there would be no access to the interior of the garage since the doors would not open.

I know there are some exceptions for receptacles that are not readily accessible. Does this apply to this situation for the garage door openers?

2

All 15 and 20 amp 120 volt receptacles in a garage require GFCI protection. In the 2008 NEC there are no exceptions. From the 2008 NEC:

3

No common sense

4

This rule also applies to receptacles installed in basements for sump pumps. I wouldn’t want my sump pumps to be GFCI protected. The NEC requires you to trust a $100K finished basement with a sump pump to be protected by a $15 GFCI device. :roll:

5

The code did not require the electrician to put the reset inside the garage.
In that case, where no other door is available to enter, the reset should be on the exterior. On regular garages, we have electricians here putting the reset on the garage ceiling and some better ones putting the reset on a wall for the opener outlets.

6

I agree. Isn’t that a change from the 2005 code?

7

Yes the 2005 has an exception for specific locations that didn’t require GFCI protection. That exception was removed in the 2008. Since that change there have been many proposals to put back some of the exceptions, especially for sump pumps, but the CMP has rejected every one of them.

8

Our local AHJ does not like this ruling either. I agree with the 2008 NEC because of the location of a sump pit. I have even found legos in one pit area that was being used as a play room. Until they can find a better way this will probably not change.
That being said all sump pumps shoulds have a warning system to alert of failure just like a fire alarm and people should now how to check the GFCI regularly.

9

The 2011 Article 210.8 now has the requirement that the GFI be readily accessible.

10

I’ve seen many single (dedicated) non GFCI Receptacles in the location for the sump pump. In theory, this would only allow the sump pump to be plugged in.

I really like this “work around”, but it’s even better to see the change in the NEC 2011 code reported by Jim Port.

11

What many of the electrical contractors are doing around here to get around this ridiculous code is making the garage door and sump outlets Dedicated. By being a dedicated outlet they do not need to be GFCI protected.

Jim

12

I agree totally!

13

What’s wrong with getting out of the car and walking through the main entry to access the garage and reset the GFCI?

14

If you read my original post, there is no service door to this detached garage and no windows. Kinda tough to do what you suggest in your post.

15

There’s your defect. Who wants to roll up the door every time you need to enter the building? :wink:

16

Depends on what NEC code cycle your under. For the 2008 and 2011 this statement is no longer true unless your dedicated circuits are 240 volts.

17

Modern GFCIs don’t trip unless there is a ground fault, when they are supposed to trip even if they are attached to sump pumps and garage door openers.

Hope this helps;