Gordy,
Do you happen to have the NEC section for that says every outlet has to be a GFI type outlet. I was taught as Mark stated and I've never had an inspector have a problem. Not that either of that makes me right, so I'd like to read the section. Also, GFI outlets come with "GFI protected" stickers for the downstream outlets, not that NEC requires them.
Also, good to read your take on permits. Thought I was the only person on the planet.
For readers new to electrical...the terms GFI and GFCI are the same things. It would be too simple otherwise.
Waterbug,
I could not find this in the NEC code book, but I didn't have a lot of time to research it thoroughly yet. Therefore, I cannot say that it is actually an NEC ruling or where it is discussed.
I was once informed (just informed mind you - I didn't read it for myself) that according to NEC code that every outlet in a bathroom or shower area and a kitchen near the waterworks had to be its own GFCI circuit. The person who mentioned this to me was not an inspecter, just an electrician and he was not speaking about outdoor outlets, so I don't know if that applies the same. It also was a long time ago, so rules may have changed with the new devices available. It just sounded logical and I assumed that it was fact.
Also, I do not work with NEC code for residential housing concerns (I work in industry related electronics and electrical). So, I do not read the NEC code book frequently or take the licensing exams. It (the NEC code) does not apply to me specifically in my job as I am more of an electronics repairman opposed to an electrician setting up the wiring.
I would be suprised if it is not contained within the NEC code, personally. They always seem to be "ultra-safe" on every issue and concern. In my own logic, it makes better sense if each outlet was individually protected with GFCI, but it is true that each simple circuit can be safe with just one GFCI "monitoring" station. Knowing how these devices work makes me feel safe. However, my concern would be, and this is my personal take on it, how would you know that the circuit is truly protected? Unless it is labeled as such or you installed it yourself?
I trust the GFCI devices implicitly, but I wouldn't trust an assumption that just any outlet is protected simply because it "appears" to be downstream (electrically speaking) from a GFCI protection device or even that it has a sticker applied to it. Personally, I would like to look at an outlet, see that it is a GFCI device, be able to test it on the spot and reset it, before I would trust it. I am overly cautious when it comes to electricity, because I have witnessed what power it holds. Many people take their electricity for granted, because they just think it comes from a switch on the wall that they have touched and played with and flipped up and down all their lives. They don't realize how much power is really in there.
FYI, for those reading who do not know what we are referring to exactly, here is an explanation of how a GFCI or GFI circuit protection device operates:
The GFCI monitors the current coming in on the HOT lead (supposed to be a black wire) and the current returning from the load circuit on the NEUTRAL lead (white or sometimes red wire).
If there is an imbalance in these two currents that is greater than 4 milliamps - 6 milliamps, the protection device trips and shuts off all current to that circuit within 15-25 milliseconds.
This protects people from electrical hazards that could shock, burn or kill you.
CB's or Circuit Breakers on the other hand, monitor a large overage of current on a specific circuit. A 10 amp circuit breaker trips out and shuts off that circuit if more than 10 amps flow through it for a long enough time to heat up a mechanism and cause a spring tensioned device to "snap" and detach the circuit feed line. CB's protect equipment from overloads, but will NOT protect people from shock. You would be electrocuted before a typical circuit breaker would trip out and shut the power off.
Gordy
