In the 2017 NEC, MUST this receptacle have GFCI protection?
From what I'm reading I cannot determine if they mean ONLY the garage receptacles in "storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use."
In the 2017 NEC, MUST this receptacle have GFCI protection?
From what I'm reading I cannot determine if they mean ONLY the garage receptacles in "storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use."
Thank you for confirming that.
The reason I'm asking is -
Just this morning I received a customer call. They bought a new home and it is high end $500,000 - $1,000,000 in range. There is no garage door access to the garage, and this is probably for security reasons. Last night it rained and by accident this morning the husband locked the keys inside the house (don't know all the details). They attempted to gain access using a garage door remote, however due to the rain, the GFCI was tripped. The location of the GFCI receptacle is inside the garage, hence they now have no way to reset it, in order to use the remote to get inside. I guess they can always call a locksmith...
But I'm toying with the idea of submitting a PI for exception to 210.8(A)(2) to EXCLUDE garage door openers, if single receptacle is used. THOUGHTS? How important is ingress? Does it outweigh the need for GFCI protection that high up in the garage ceiling? What is the likelihood that someone will unplug the garage door opener to "use" a single receptacle?
This is a specific scenario where I feel the pain however, by argument the inconvenience of the Outlet tripping is synonymous with the Battery dying. How far is the nearest store?
In this case, which is a nonstandard case, (at least at this point in time - perhaps it becomes the future normal), hardwire the darn thing. Hardwiring it is a surefire solution to this specific issue without breaking any Codes. A Single Outlet can have a Power Strip added -
The GFCI Tripped for a reason. What could possibly be the reason? I mean, is the GFCI wired correctly (one should confirm). Are the Door Rails 'Hot' where pooled water tripped it? While it was probably nearby Lightning (since there is obviously no visible charring) or 'severe' static buildup, it might be indicating a different problem after all. Their response to all this seems as though it's happened before - but this time they locked themselves out!
Or perhaps, they can "upgrade" their Electrical Service to the 2020 Code by adding Surge Protection in the Breaker Box. Which was added why - nuisance trips of GFCI Outlets. That's right, blame the GFCI for our inconvenience - it only saves lives once in a great while - not just EVERY time it trips!
On the other hand, you may have just invented the next auxiliary feature of GFCI Receptacles - Remote Reset (with a battery).
Hardwire is out. That would be taking a UL listed product and altering it, hence voiding the listing [110.3(B)]. But thanks for the other thoughts! Great point on the 2020! Sadly, we will probably not upgrade to that code for 6 or 7 years, due (in part) to the fact that there is no .pdf version. The 2020 may be a "dead cycle" unless they reverse course and fast, IMHO. Sad.
The "storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use." is referring to portions of "accessory buildings" only.
The big driver for requiring garage door opener receptacles to be GFCI protected were cord reels being plugged into the same ceiling receptacle as the opener. This created a safety issue.
Personally ran through this issue in providing electric to my detached garage. The concern as Brian pointed out kind of eliminates the dedicated receptacles argument as almost every receptacle will be a duplex style leaving a usable plug location.
An interim fix is to provide a battery backup garage door opener. Many of the manufacturers who utilize DC for the motors operation have a battery either built in or available as an add-on.
The entire Garage has been deemed to have GFCI Receptacles. I can see why; I am often hooking-up my Power Tools just outside from the Garage Door. In between working on stuff, I have been known to take the occasional break from the action where several times my work has been caught in the rain. On occasion, the rain has come from the direction to manufacturer puddles inside the Garage. And if it were not the rain, how often have a dragged the Garden Hose over by the open Garage Door, frustratingly spraying everything in range from the momentary pressure buildup - while unkinking the Hose.
Plus, I have a sump pump in the yard to syphon out the ponds produced by downpours. Many times there are clogs, kinked hoses, stuck float, etc. where I need to wade through the pond - where fortunately, the GFCI has tripped. For sake of convenience, the Extension Cord is plugged into the very Receptacle of your question.
I'm sure the Code Writers have figured out that Work Shops, Storage Areas and the like are of the same construction (Concrete Floor and all) as to a Garage but without a "Garage Door".