GFCI on patio
#1
GFCI on patio
Hi everyone,
Can someone help me with something, please? I have a house built in 1999 that I am trying to sell. The patio does not have a GFCI (something I never had really noticed). Home inspector says it is required. Is this a true statement? The house was probably built early enough in 1999 that the 1999 NEC was not in effect.
Did the builder and previous inspectors miss this? Seems like it would have been pretty obvious. OR was it simply not required under the previous NEC (which is 1996 edition??).
thanks,
Brian
Can someone help me with something, please? I have a house built in 1999 that I am trying to sell. The patio does not have a GFCI (something I never had really noticed). Home inspector says it is required. Is this a true statement? The house was probably built early enough in 1999 that the 1999 NEC was not in effect.
Did the builder and previous inspectors miss this? Seems like it would have been pretty obvious. OR was it simply not required under the previous NEC (which is 1996 edition??).
thanks,
Brian
#2
Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Home inspector says it is required for what?
It does sound like there should be GFCI protection for this receptacle. However, do you know that there isn't? Is there, perhaps a GFCI receptacle in the garage or in the basement or somewhere else outside that provides protection for this receptacle.
You should already know this, but I at least hope that you know what else is on the same breaker.
Now to the inspector's comment. If the prospective buyer insists on a GFCI receptacle, then buy one for $15 and install it. If they don't insist on it or don;t even mention it then do nothing.
It does sound like there should be GFCI protection for this receptacle. However, do you know that there isn't? Is there, perhaps a GFCI receptacle in the garage or in the basement or somewhere else outside that provides protection for this receptacle.
You should already know this, but I at least hope that you know what else is on the same breaker.
Now to the inspector's comment. If the prospective buyer insists on a GFCI receptacle, then buy one for $15 and install it. If they don't insist on it or don;t even mention it then do nothing.
#3
Home inspectors don't give requirements. And they don't make demands on the seller. They merely advise the buyer of conditions they consider defects. A defect does not necessarily have anything to do with the requirements of code. So for this case it makes no difference what version of the NEC was in effect when the home was built.
Home inspectors typically point out the lack of GFCI where they would be required if built today. This may be the most common defect cited by home inspectors. Buyers typically request mitigation (why not? it easy to ask). Sellers typically pay the few bucks required to install the GFCI, because it's the simplest way to make this issue go away.
But the bottom line is that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you think the buyer will buy anyway, and/or you can easily get another buyer, just say "no."
Home inspectors typically point out the lack of GFCI where they would be required if built today. This may be the most common defect cited by home inspectors. Buyers typically request mitigation (why not? it easy to ask). Sellers typically pay the few bucks required to install the GFCI, because it's the simplest way to make this issue go away.
But the bottom line is that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you think the buyer will buy anyway, and/or you can easily get another buyer, just say "no."
#4
Member
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Dry Side of Washington State
Posts: 685
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by no_sparks
Hi everyone,
Can someone help me with something, please? I have a house built in 1999 that I am trying to sell. The patio does not have a GFCI (something I never had really noticed). Home inspector says it is required. Is this a true statement? The house was probably built early enough in 1999 that the 1999 NEC was not in effect.
Did the builder and previous inspectors miss this? Seems like it would have been pretty obvious. OR was it simply not required under the previous NEC (which is 1996 edition??).
thanks,
Brian
Can someone help me with something, please? I have a house built in 1999 that I am trying to sell. The patio does not have a GFCI (something I never had really noticed). Home inspector says it is required. Is this a true statement? The house was probably built early enough in 1999 that the 1999 NEC was not in effect.
Did the builder and previous inspectors miss this? Seems like it would have been pretty obvious. OR was it simply not required under the previous NEC (which is 1996 edition??).
thanks,
Brian
#5
Thanks for the input everyone....
Thinman,
that's a good questions and one I need to investigate. The breakers are not GFCI, so I'm thinking the circuit is protected upstream somewhere. I just have never checked... The receptacle on the front porch is also not a GFCI, nor are the garage outlets, so I suspect what you say is true.
thanks again...
Thinman,
that's a good questions and one I need to investigate. The breakers are not GFCI, so I'm thinking the circuit is protected upstream somewhere. I just have never checked... The receptacle on the front porch is also not a GFCI, nor are the garage outlets, so I suspect what you say is true.
thanks again...
#6
An $8 outlet tester (the kind that plugs in and has three lights and one button) can confirm whether or not the receptacle is GFCI protected. These are available at all home centers, and sometimes even at places like KMart. But it is likely that this tester has already been used by the home inspector to determine that it is not protected (unless he is a very ill-informed inspector). If it is GFCI protected, however, the test will deaden the outlet and you'll need to find the GFCI to reset it. All outdoor and unfinished areas are likely spots for the GFCI. Proximity to the porches is not required.
It seems very unlikely, however, that a home built to either the 1999 or 1996 (or 1993) codes does not have GFCI protection on all outdoor receptacles.
It seems very unlikely, however, that a home built to either the 1999 or 1996 (or 1993) codes does not have GFCI protection on all outdoor receptacles.