GFCI requirement in Ontario Electrical Safety Code
 

I live in Ontario, Canada, and my house is a newly built, less than one year. I'm questioning the builder for some receptacles may not comply with the code. I think they should be GFCI protected, but they are not. I've check the panel, there is no any GFCI breaker.

Please someone familiar with the code in Ontario help me clarify that receptacles in the following area should be GFCI protected or not,

1. Full ensuite bathroom at the main floor. (Other bathrooms at the second floor are GFCI protected.)
2. Powder room at the main floor.
3. In kitchen, on the wall behind the contertop. The sink is not along the wall, it's on the island.
4. Garage.
5. Unfinished basement.

Thanks!

I do not know the CEC, but I can tell you that not all GFCI protected recepts are GFCI recepts. One GFCI recept can protect multiple standard recepts.

One way to check is to press "test" on the GFCI recept and check power in other bathroom recepts or other recepts in the area.

Kitchen it is required if within 1.5m of sink.
Bathroom GFCI is required. A room with no shower or tub is not considered a bathroom. It is a washroom. The other baths could be protect by the one that has the GFCI.
Garage not required.
Basement not required.

Kitchen should also be a 20A t-slot

Even within 1.5m of the sink in powder room? I think the purpose for using GFCI is to protect wet area, while the sink in powder room is a wet area as other bathrooms, why it's not required for powder room?


ESC says "area subject to standing fluid on the floor or drenching of the work area", doesn't this apply to garage and unfinished basement? There is a water tap in garage within 1m of the receptacle.

"area subject to standing fluid on the floor or drenching of the work area" is from 24-116 in the section for "patient care areas". Is your garage or basement a patient care area?
I probably would use one in the power room. I just could not find in the code where it was required to use one.

Edit:
Found it. 26-700(11) requires GFCI for receptacles within 1.5 of "sinks, bathtubs, or shower stalls".

Got it, thanks!

One more questions, at the second floor, there are 3 bathroom and 5 receptacles around sinks in one 15 amp circuit. There is only one GFCI receptacle and all others pigtailed. Is this good? comply with the code?

Since you have some real concerns, it might be a good idea to purchase an outlet/gfi tester.

Plug it into a recpet you think should be GFI protected and press the black button. If the recept looses power, it is protected. Then the fun part, finding the GFI that tripped to reset it.:)

The non GFCI receptacles are probably protected by the one GFCI receptacle. Push the GFCI test button and then try the other receptacles. If they are dead then you know they are connected to the LOAD side of the one GFCI.

I know they are GFCI protected. My concern is if 5 bathroom receptacles in one 15 amp circuit is ok? Is there any limitation about how many receptacles can be chained in one circuit in the code?
Thanks.

12 plugs on one circuit, no special rules on the branch circuits for bathrooms. So all 5 on one is code compliant, probably not the way I would have done it but it is safe and correct.

They may comply to code but they certainly aren't going to be very usable! One hair dryer could quite possibly use all of your available power! Actually 1, 1800watt hair dryer uses 15 amps so it alone would overload the circuit.

I got the idea. Thanks for helping to all!