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Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Question:
Charlie, during a recent walkthrough of a senior care facility they were written up for failure to provide GFCI protection on a coffee maker located in a kitchen. I was contacted by the facility to correct the problem.
The appliance in question is 240V, 1PH, cord and plug connected, not within six feet of a sink, and the branch circuit has the proper OCD protection. I believe per 210.8(B) GFCI protection is not required for this appliance, and informed the owner. Am I missing something else that would require GFCI protection in this instance?
Greg Delinski
A
Answer:
Hey Greg thanks for your question. A change to 210.8(B) for the 2017 NEC increased ratings to now include single phase receptacles up to 50 ampere that are 150 volts or less to ground to need GFCI protection. That would include the receptacle in your example if supplied by a 120/240 volt system. Kitchen"s", as that term is defined in Article 100, are included by 210.8(B)(2) and the rule is not just for countertops or a specific distance from a sink. If the installation was made prior to the adoption of the 2017 NEC it wouldn't be required (by the NEC) unless the coffee maker manufacturer's instruction's required GFCI protection. Ask whomever did the "walk-through" inspection to see what they are basing their finding on. It's possible there are facility rules that are retroactive and there is nothing wrong with providing GFCI protection to reduce the risk of incidents.