Laundry in bathroom, GFI required?

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lahabra

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Plans call for a washer and dryer circuit in the bathroom.

Will the 120v-20A laundry outlets need to be protected by a GFI?
 

Bob NH

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Can it be a 15 Amp GFI?

If it is a duplex receptacle (most are, probably can't find a single 15 Amp) it is permitted to be a 15 Amp GFI receptacle. However, the 20 Amp circuit may not have any other receptacles to serve anything but laundry loads. 210.11(C)(2) and 210.23(A) Exception

I assume that it is a gas dryer that requires a receptacle for the motor and controls. If it is an electric dryer it will require a 30 Amp circuit which is not required to be a GFCI circuit.
 

JWelectric

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Plans call for a washer and dryer circuit in the bathroom.

Will the 120v-20A laundry outlets need to be protected by a GFI?

No Not unless the receptacle is within 6 feet of a laundry, utility, and wet bar sinks
 

Bob NH

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Originally Posted by lahabra
Plans call for a washer and dryer circuit in the bathroom.

Will the 120v-20A laundry outlets need to be protected by a GFI?

No Not unless the receptacle is within 6 feet of a laundry, utility, and wet bar sinks

The original post said that the receptacle outlet is to be in a bathroom.

210.8(A)(1) requires that all 125 Volt (meaning to include all nominal 120 Volt) single phase 15 and 20 ampere receptacles installed in bathrooms shall have GFCI protection. There is no exception for distance from a sink or any other circumstance.
 

JWelectric

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If the laundary area is in the same room as the bathroom I would look at the two as being separate areas. Most code officials that I know would do the same.
 

Chris75

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If the laundary area is in the same room as the bathroom I would look at the two as being separate areas. Most code officials that I know would do the same.


How can that be, I never heard of that opinion, but I like it... I've always just installed a gfi... most times on the print the room is called a bathroom that just happens to have a washer and dryer in it... Besides that if that room has a basin and one of the following toilet, tub or shower, then IMO that makes the room a bathroom and all receptacles need to be GFI protected.
 
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JWelectric

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I suppose that there are different ways to look at any picture. I have a picture of a Navy ship off the coast of South Carolina. This is one huge ship. When I show the picture to my Grandson, age 17, all he sees is the ladies laying around on the beach. When my Granddaughter (age 15) sees the picture all she sees is the boys on the beach. All I see is the big Navy ship.

210.11 (C)(2) requires that a circuit be installed for the laundry;
(2) Laundry Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F). This circuit shall have no other outlets.

210.52(F) addresses the laundry area (F) Laundry Areas. In dwelling units, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for the laundry.

Now that I know that the code requires me to install at least one receptacle for the laundry area and it must be on a 20 amp circuit and have no other outlets on that circuit.

Just for fun and while I am looking at the required circuits what does the code say about circuits installed in the kitchen. Again looking at 210.11 (C) I find in (1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits shall be provided for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B).

A close look at 210.52(B) tells me that (1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.
Exception No. 1: In addition to the required receptacles specified by 210.52, switched receptacles supplied from a general-purpose branch circuit as defined in 210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, shall be permitted.
Exception No. 2: The receptacle outlet for refrigeration equipment shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater.

Here I am told that ALL receptacles in the kitchen MUST be supplied be those circuits outlined in 210.11(C)(1). It does give me two exceptions but neither one of these will allow a laundry circuit to be installed.

Someone please tell me how we are installing washers and dryers in the kitchens of small apartments.

I contend that the area in a bathroom for the laundry is the laundry area and not part of that bathroom but then again I couldn’t get my Grandson to see the ship.
 

Bob NH

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The person with the laundry equipment (lahabra) said it is a bathroom. For the purpose of answering the question it may be reasonable to assume that the person asking the question knows if it is a bathroom.
 

Mikey

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I just went through this discussion with a neighbor who's converting a "bonus room" into a small apartment. There are 3 "areas" -- a bathroom with a washer & dryer in it, a "bedroom" and a "living area" which contains a kitchen. The "bedroom" is separated from the living area by a 12-foot-wide folding door, the bathroom/laundry by a standard 32" door. I put forth JW's argument, but my neighbor (wisely, I think) decided to ignore the angels dancing on the pinhead, and use the most restrictive interpretation in all areas, so there are lots of GFCI receptacles, AFCIs, and 2 smoke/CO detectors. Total extra cost wasn't worth a potential argument, he said.

I'm a long way from 17, but I'd see the ladies.
 
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JWelectric

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I'm a long way from 17, but I'd see the ladies.
ROTFLMAO Tee Jay kept saying, "what boat Papaw?"

My wife says that if I was taking a picture of the ship, the ship would have been in the center of the picture instead of ?????
 
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