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Electrician Q&A....GFCI outlets, IA codes

Joes Place

HR King
Aug 28, 2003
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Iowa Electrical guys (who are familiar w/ Iowa code)

Can you swap out locations for GFCIs in a basement (which circuit a GFCI is on)?

Apparently, in unfinished basements they changed this so you need to have one in any unfinished basement. Wanted to know if you can just pop that out and swap with a regular plug on another circuit breaker, if it's w/in the 20ft requirement of the furnace (or whatever)

TIA
 
I have a good friend who is an electrician and teaches electrical education in the U.S. I will ask him.
 
Iowa Electrical guys (who are familiar w/ Iowa code)

Can you swap out locations for GFCIs in a basement (which circuit a GFCI is on)?

Apparently, in unfinished basements they changed this so you need to have one in any unfinished basement. Wanted to know if you can just pop that out and swap with a regular plug on another circuit breaker, if it's w/in the 20ft requirement of the furnace (or whatever)

TIA

As long as the circuit is properly grounded I believe you can just swap it out.
 
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I have a good friend who is an electrician and teaches electrical education in the U.S. I will ask him.

It's related to (apparently) newer IA code, requiring GFIC in unfinished basements.

A new outlet was put in for an appliance (fridge or freezer) and it trips the GFI; generally, those things with big inductor motors don't generally play well with GFI outlets, so you avoid using them. Unfortunately, circuit was added where the fridge goes.

Just was guessing that, so long as you're maintaining the existence of the GFI in the unfinished area w/in the 20ft of the furnace, can you just swap it out w/ another plug in the area?

And, I think these cut everything out that is "downstream" of the GFI (an electrician will certainly know this, I'm guessing); so, if you need to have one in the area to meet code, can you just place it within the 20ft limit, and closest to the end of your outlet chain, so that it doesn't affect as many outlets.

The key is get the fridge off the GFI, as intermittent/random trips are a big problem in an area not frequented.

I'm a physics guy, so I understand lots of the technical stuff; I do not know the codes nor have the experience of an actual electrician who does this every day. Seems like a DIY thing if you can just turn off breakers and swap plugs - but is it really that easy, or are there other concerns to be aware of?
 
1200px-Cheater_plug_edited.jpg
 

Don't think those work w/ modern GFCIs, which are looking for >5mA difference in current between Hot/Cold wires. Taking out the neutral doesn't do anything for a fridge compressor, I don't think.
 
It's related to (apparently) newer IA code, requiring GFIC in unfinished basements.

A new outlet was put in for an appliance (fridge or freezer) and it trips the GFI; generally, those things with big inductor motors don't generally play well with GFI outlets, so you avoid using them. Unfortunately, circuit was added where the fridge goes.

Just was guessing that, so long as you're maintaining the existence of the GFI in the unfinished area w/in the 20ft of the furnace, can you just swap it out w/ another plug in the area?

And, I think these cut everything out that is "downstream" of the GFI (an electrician will certainly know this, I'm guessing); so, if you need to have one in the area to meet code, can you just place it within the 20ft limit, and closest to the end of your outlet chain, so that it doesn't affect as many outlets.

The key is get the fridge off the GFI, as intermittent/random trips are a big problem in an area not frequented.

I'm a physics guy, so I understand lots of the technical stuff; I do not know the codes nor have the experience of an actual electrician who does this every day. Seems like a DIY thing if you can just turn off breakers and swap plugs - but is it really that easy, or are there other concerns to be aware of?
If it’s a dedicated circuit specifically for an appliance you are not required to have gfci protection.
 
Don't think those work w/ modern GFCIs, which are looking for >5mA difference in current between Hot/Cold wires. Taking out the neutral doesn't do anything for a fridge compressor, I don't think.
You’re probably right. That would be an early step in a spaghetti approach—a pretty cheap noodle if it bounces off the wall.
 
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If it’s a dedicated circuit specifically for an appliance you are not required to have gfci protection.

That's what I thought, but as there were no GFCIs in that area when it was put in, I think that's why it went in.

(i.e. building was pre-GFCI code, so the act of adding in a new plug required it - if that makes sense).
 
That's what I thought, but as there were no GFCIs in that area when it was put in, I think that's why it went in.

(i.e. building was pre-GFCI code, so the act of adding in a new plug required it - if that makes sense).
Yeah, makes sense.
 
Yeah, makes sense.

So, basically, if the GFCI needs to stay on this circuit (would impact too many other things in the areas if not)

Is it a code-compliant solution to:
  • simply add another plug outlet literally next to this one
  • daisy-chained downstream, for the GFCI,
  • keep main plug/outlet for the appliance is upstream and not impacted(?)
(provided the added plug doesn't violate load limits.... but a fridge or freezer runs off any 15A/20A outlet, so I don't see why this would matter....)

???
 
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