20 Amp No GFCI in garage

[fqp25]

Found a 20 Amp outlet in a garage with no GFCI protection. The panel was only a few feet away and I tracked it down to a designated breaker for a freezer.

Even though the compressor in a fridge/freezer could trip a GFCI on start-up, doesn't this outlet still have to be GFCI protected since it's in a garage?

Aren't the newer GFCI Outlets better at handling fridge/freezers than the ones in years past?

[randynavarro]

This has been discussed before.

Because its a "permanent appliance", the outlet doesn't need to be protected. If its a duplex receptacle, some would say that just one half would be unprotected and the other would.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by fqp25

Found a 20 Amp outlet in a garage with no GFCI protection. The panel was only a few feet away and I tracked it down to a designated breaker for a freezer.

Even though the compressor in a fridge/freezer could trip a GFCI on start-up, doesn't this outlet still have to be GFCI protected since it's in a garage?

Aren't the newer GFCI Outlets better at handling fridge/freezers than the ones in years past?

According to the 2005 NEC (210., all of the receptacles in a garage have to be GFCI protected except those that aren't accessible and those that serve an appliance that isn't easily moved from place to place. If it's a single appliance, then it should plug into a singlex receptacle. If there are two such appliances, they can plug into a duplex receptacle.

This rule and the exception have got nothing whatsoever to do with motors. (That's a persistent myth.)

The present generation of GFCIs doesn’t trip in response to motor loads unless there's a ground fault.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the 2008 NEC, these exceptions are going away. All receptacles in garages will require GFCI protection regardless of their accessibility or the presence of non-easily-moved appliances. That means that fridges, freezers, washers, central vacs, etc, etc will have to be plugged into GFCI-protected receptacles.

-Jim Katen, Oregon

[inspector57]

Not required (yet) to be protected. Most garage outlets are on the same circuit as front and rear outdoor outlets and therefore will likely get tripped by the Christmas lights and you lose the $600 bucks of beef in the deep freeze over the weekend. Common sense tells me I don't want to create an opportunity to shut down essential equipment. Even when the new requirement for protection is phased in, a SEPERATE GFCI outlet for the freezer would be smart.

Jim

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by inspector57

Not required (yet) to be protected. Most garage outlets are on the same circuit as front and rear outdoor outlets and therefore will likely get tripped by the Christmas lights and you lose the $600 bucks of beef in the deep freeze over the weekend. Common sense tells me I don't want to create an opportunity to shut down essential equipment. Even when the new requirement for protection is phased in, a SEPERATE GFCI outlet for the freezer would be smart.

Jim

I think that's a darn good idea. Maybe even recommend a freezer alarm as well.

- Jim Katen, Oregon