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Friday, September 2, 2022
Question:
Hello Code Question of The Day, I am feeding two 50 amp, 120V shore power receptacles from a sub panel mounted on a pole on land, a few feet away from the dock entrance. The receptacles will be mounted on the same land pole. Being it is not on the dock but still powering a boat, do the receptacles still require GFP? I know I could accomplish this with a standard GFCI breaker but I do not want any nuisance tripping in the future. The standard GFCI breaker has a 6mA rating but the code allows for it to be much higher. What devices are available to achieve the 30-100mA ratings?
Best Wishes,
Cody Johnson
A
Answer:
Hello Cody, thank you for your question, as this is a very important topic. You specified the 2014 NEC in your question submission, so I will provide you with the information based on the 2014 edition. Keep in mind there have been several changes in Article 555 since the 2014 edition. The changes are intended to help in the prevention of Electric-Shock Drowning(ESD) deaths. For more information on Electric-Shock Drownings visit www.electricshockdrowning.org.
Even though the receptacles in question are on land instead of the dock, they are being used for providing shore power to a moored boat, so they fall under the scope of Article 555. Section 555.3 of the 2014 NEC requires Ground-Fault protection not exceeding 100mA at the feeder or branch level. Section 555.19(A)(1)-(4) also provides guidance on the installation and rating of shore power receptacles. There are several types/brands of commercially available Class B ground fault devices capable of providing protection at the levels required in Section 555.3.