Grounding question

ChetP

Anyone know whether GFCI outlets located in a bathroom & basement (for washing machine hookup) are required to be grounded? Location is KC, MO if that matters.

TIA

Termite

Your baths' receptacles must be GFCI protected.

Dedicated receptacles in unfinished basements probably won't be required to be GFCI, but using one receptacle of a duplex receptacle device doesn't constitute dedicated. I'd suggest contacting KCMO codes department directly to get their stance.

Any new wiring work will certainly require a ground.

adpanko

I believe EVERY outlet is required to be grounded, regardless of type of outlet or its location. In theory, I think the GFCI is supposed to trip before serious shock occurs, so the ground wouldn't be necessary. But I would assume that NEC would still require grounding because what if, in theory, the tripping mechanism in the GFCI stopped working properly without you knowing it? Then you would have to rely on the ground to protect you.

Stubbie

Can you explain a tad bit more what your doing?

If this is new construction or remodeling the circuit should be 20 amps. If it is a receptacle in a bathroom it needs to be gfci protected. Also if new construction or remodeling the bathroom circuit serving receptacles cannot go to the laundry which has to have it's own dedicated 20 amp branch circuit. The washer does not require gfci unless it is within 6' of a sink. If the washer is not in a laundry room as such but just plugged into a receptacle in an unfinished basement then it must be gfci.

A gfci doesn't need a ground to work properly. If the home doesn't have wiring with a ground wire then a gfci is a code compliant way to install a
3 prong grounding type receptacle due to the absense of a ground.

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Stubbie

ChetP

We are currently selling our house, this issue came up through a home inspection. The inspector used a GFCI tester & said that these 2 GFCI outlets weren't working properly but they trip when you hit the test button. Apparently, the tester didn't set them off properly b/c the GFCI outlets aren't grounded. The washer is in an unfinished basement and is currently connected to an ungrounded GFCI. It sounds like this is code compliant & we shouldn't have to fix. The problem is the inspection is being done through a non-profit organization that the buyer is getting a loan from & I don't think the inspector understands any of the actual code.

Edit: Thanks for the replies.

Stubbie

Chet

The inspector needs to study up a bit. A receptacle tester will not trip the gfci if a ground is not present. The tester needs the ground to work (I can explain if necessary) but the gfci doesn't. The proper way to test the actual gfci is to use the test button. The tester is primarily reserved for testing downstream outlets that are protected by the gfci but without a ground they will not work.
Again if the gfci trips by pushing the test button you are fine.

__________________
" One nice thing about the NEC articles ... you have lots of choices"

Stubbie

tonyf

Check out this link on GFCI

ChetP

Thanks everyone for the replies, we went ahead & had some grounds run to the outlets to get this taken care of so we can go ahead & get this sucka sold.

220/221

You likely created code violations by doing this

Nothing dangerous but it's still funny because nothing was wrong to begin with.