Basement laundry room

secutanudu

Couple questions. I have the paneling off in my basement near the laundry area so I want to move the washing machine outlet that is way behind it and out of reach.

1) Does a laundry circuit need gfci protection? I have no sink in the laundry room. Is there any reason NOT to GFCI-protect it (assuming it is not required in the first place)?

2) Where should the washing maching outlet be located? The washing machine drains about 6 feet up in the air to a drain pipe behind the washer. The laundry supply valves are just below this drain. Any height or other requirement from this outlet placement? Common sense tells me to move it away from the supply and drain lines.

3) Can I put a junction box on a basement rim joist?

Thanks.

__________________
Andrew

jbfan

No gfci required.
I put them above the top of the washer, trying to hit the center.
Yes on the jbox, as long as it remains accessible.

__________________
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

secutanudu

Does behind paneling count as accessible? The paneling is on a framed wall about a foot and a half from the foundation. Also, the paneling can be removed pretty easily. The paneling ends about 3 feet to the left of the junciton (so you can reach or shimmy in behind it).

__________________
Andrew

darren

No that would not be considered accesible, if you have to remove finished walls to get to it, its not accesible.

secutanudu

Hmm, that's where the current outlet is (thanks previous homeowners). You don't HAVE to remove the finished walls. You can reach in behind it from the unfinished area. That's how I plug in/unplug the washer now.

__________________
Andrew

HooKooDooKu

NEC 2008 210.8(A)(7) indicates that GFCI protected outlets are needed in laundry and utility rooms where receptacles are installed within 6' of the edge of a sink. So if you have a laundry room without a sink, it sounds like GFCI is not REQUIRED...

But you also indicated this laundry room is in the basement. Basements require GFCI protected outlets.


On a personal note, the washing machine is a water related device itself. As such, I personally like the idea of the outlet for the washing machine to be GFCI protected.

darren

I misunderstood, i though you would have to take off the paneling to get to the junction box.

In your case it probably would be fine, the only issue would be any future home owners who have to find that junction box.

Silk

This is not true

GFCI's are required in unfinished basements.

secutanudu

Actually, this will be in the unfinished portion of the basement, so I will do GFCI.

__________________
Andrew

HooKooDooKu

You are correct, in so much that I should have used the words that the NEC uses. I didn't think to include the word "unfinished" because as far as code is concerned, there are no rules for a "finished" basement. Basement space is either "unfinished basement" or "habitable space". NEC 2008 210.52(G)(2) pretty much says so with the words
"Where a portion of the basement is finished into one or more habitable rooms...".

However, NEC does fairly consistantly use the words "unfinished basement" to make it clear that a requirement for a basement doesn't apply to "habitable space" that just so happens to be located in a basement.