OK to put GFCI receptacle here?

1611 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Rav, Mar 7, 2016

Rav

Discussion Starter · Mar 7, 2016

Our county is under 2008 NEC. In our house we have a standard duplex receptacle on the wall of a kitchen. It's on a 20A circuit and it's the only outlet on the circuit. A microwave and clock radio are plugged into it. It's not on the same countertop as the sink, but on the opposite wall 9 feet away from the edge of that sink, on what I'm not sure is considered a countertop (assuming it is, it's a small section). Picture below. 210.8(A)(6) (6) says "Kitchens — where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces."

I'd like to replace this receptacle with a GFCI duplex receptacle -- OK to use one here? Thanks.

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ddawg16

· #2 · Mar 7, 2016

Of course you can. You can put a GFCI anywhere you want.

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Rav

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 7, 2016

ddawg16 said:
Of course you can. You can put a GFCI anywhere you want.

Thanks. I should have said that I wanted to make sure it wasn't required to be AFCI.

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ddawg16

· #4 · Mar 7, 2016

Unless you are upgrading all the electrical (as in pulling permits), no need to make that AFCI.

Even then, if my memory serves me correctly, under 2008 NEC, only bedrooms have to be AFCI

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Jim Port

· #5 · Mar 7, 2016

Any receptacle over a counter and less than 20 inches above is considered to be serving the countertop. Depending on the age of the house it should have already been gfi protected.

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Oso954

· #6 · Mar 7, 2016

This is the one time it is nice to have a GFCI/receptacle tester. Plug it in, push the button. If the receptacle goes dead, it is already GFCI protected (assuming circuit is properly grounded).

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Rav

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 7, 2016

Jim Port said:
Any receptacle over a counter and less than 20 inches above is considered to be serving the countertop. Depending on the age of the house it should have already been gfi protected.

Thanks, that's good info to know. The house was built around 1930, and aside from a heavy up in 1985 and a few relatively newer AC cables installed around that time, the wiring is mostly old BX cable with bonding strips. None of the receptacles were GFCI protected until I just started adding them.

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Rav

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 7, 2016

Oso954 said:
This is the one time it is nice to have a GFCI/receptacle tester. Plug it in, push the button. If the receptacle goes dead, it is already GFCI protected (assuming circuit is properly grounded).

Thanks. None of the existing receptacles in the house were GFCI protected (either directly, from upstream receptacles, or breakers). But I do have a GFCI/receptacle tester and I'm using it as I install GFCI receptacles to make sure that they (and downstream receptacles that are connected to the GFCI load) are working properly.

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OK to put GFCI receptacle here?

Rav

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