I am helping an elderly lady get her house ready to sell. There is an electrical outlet in the wall about 26 inches from the nearest point of the sink. I know it has been mentioned here many many times, but I'm too tired to go scratching around. What is the minimum distance from the sink to an outlet that is not Ground Fault protected?
Thanks,
There is no minimum distance from a kitchen sink. If the outlet was installed before GFCI protection was required, it can be a standard outlet. If it was installed after the GFCI requirement, it must be properly protected.
The more interesting thing is that by current code, if that outlet is 26" from the sink, you'd need another one 2" from the sink.
The current outlets are nowhere near as dense as current code, but the house is80+ years old. I know any home inspector will want GFCI's near the sink, but you did not say what that minimum safe distance is.
If we are talking about a kitchen sink, then all receptacles serving kitchen countertops must be GFCI protected. On the other hand, a receptacle can be under a kitchen sink, to serve a garbage disposal or the dishwasher, and then it does not require GFCI protection. So for kitchens, it's not just a simple minimum distance.
Cheers, Wayne
The current outlets are nowhere near as dense as current code, but the house is80+ years old. I know any home inspector will want GFCI's near the sink, but you did not say what that minimum safe distance is.
There is no minimum distance. An outlet can be right up to the sink
I think you need to find out what a "house inspector's" legal jurisdiction is. Typically there are grandfather laws. If the receptacle was installed before GFCI protection was required, then non should be required now. As I said earlier, current code would require more receptacles as well. Where do you draw the line?
Any non dedicated above counter outlet within 6 feet of an open water source must be GFIC protected. A sink counts.
I am not sure why all the other posters felt the need to be so difficult.
And yes a home inspector is going to cite it as problem even if the house
150 years old.
Current code (and the code for over a decade) does not talk about the sink at all. It says all receptacles serving counter tops in the kitchen shall be GFCI protected. Any counter top. In laundries, utility rooms and wet bars the rule is 6 feet.
Home inspectors are not really bound by code, they brag about not being code inspectors. They flag anything that doesn't look right to them. (right or wrong) so don't be shocked if this shows up on their report, even if George Washington slept there.
Is there a ground available in the box? If so, stick a GFCI in there, and I don't think the inspector will even check the distance to the sink. He'll just stick his little checker in there, and when it glows green, move on to the next one.
Colbyt - Thanks for the first straight answer to what I thought was a straightforward question.
I haven't checked to see if there is a ground or not. Part of the house is very old BX, some modifications are 14/2 with ground. I'll check with my VOM and see how things look. The bathroom outlet on the side of the vanity is 14/2 G so changing that out should be easy. Some of the older BX wires are so stiff with age that they will be a challange to change.
In the kitchen, I am only going to replace the two duplex units that are closest to the sink, all other outlets are at least 6 feet from the nearest point of the sink. The hardest part is going to be working in close quarters as the sink box seems to be very shallow, I will have to check to make sure they are deep enough to handle the GFCI depth.
This house according to the OP is 80 years old, so it's wiring and outlets including the kitchen predate any GFCI requirements.
The current code does mention a sink. 210.52 C1 exception, which says that receptacle outlets aren't required behind one
F! the code and whether the current recepticle should be grandfathered or not. Replace it with a GFCI because it's close to the sink. (any kitchen countertop outlets far away from the sink should be grandfathered; you may or may not want to replace them anyway.)
Bob
Colbyt - Thanks for the first straight answer to what I thought was a straightforward question.
I don't exactly know what type of answer you're looking for. You didn't ask what would be required by current code. You certainly don't intend to bring the wiring in this house up to current code, or you'll pretty much have to gut the place and start over. Regarding kitchen counters, all receptacles are required to be GFCI protected, not just those within 6' of a water source.
You don't need a ground with a GFCI outlet. They have little stickers in the box that say "No Equipment Ground" that you put on them when no ground is available.
The shallow box might be a problem.
Bob
There is always wiremold extender boxes, like where you pull a surface feed off a wall outlet. You can use the box by itself. I haven't looked lately, but I think there are some non-industrial-looking ones out there. Paint to match the wall or the box cover, and I don't think anyone will freak out, especially in an old house. Stroll down the box aisle at big-box, or drop by a real electrical supply house not during rush hour. Lots of strange boxes out there.
If this is a breaker panel it is probably easier just putting the whole circuit on a GFCI breaker
I am not so quick to give the same advice. If the wiring in the house is 80 years old, then the insulation on the wiring could be brittle. It is better not to disturb wiring that old unless you plan on changing it.
This sounds like the safest way to go. Breakers are more expensive though. You stand a chance in getting the fridge on a GFI which I think is a bad idea.
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