Another GFCI question; sorry!

buffalo ny: i'm not an electrician, but as you keep your left hand in your pocket safely, then write a check to pay an electrician and hand it to him with with your right hand, he will probably notice you are overfeeding the very first described 15A device with its panel 20A breaker and its 20 amp wire. so turn that off now. the rest needs a closer look for further errors. remember also your city and country electrical codes will ultimately determine the correct answer. just because we've got the electricity working doesn't mean it will work safely under load. must read:

I've been told that there is a special exception for 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit. So long as the wire gauge is #12 or larger, the wiring isn't a problem.

You can get GFCIs in eiher a 15 or 20 Amp version. The 20 amp just cost a $1 or 2 more but unless you have an machine with a 20 amp plug you just don't need a 20 amp outlet.

Why do you need GFI in the first place? Is it code if you are working on a concrete floor in a garage?

On any multiwire circuit, the neutral only takes the imbalance of the two hot legs. A double pole, three wire GFCI is designed for this and will work properly for what you're doing. This is essentially the same thing as a GFCI breaker feeding a hot tub. It protects both 120 and 240 volt circuits in the spa

The code allows 15A outlets on 20A circuits. This is very common with

Simply put, you cannot have a GFCI breaker for a 3 wire cable where two seperate branches share the same neutral. The GFCI breaker requires independent wiring of the neutral for each branch circuit.

The only way you can do it is with a GFCI receptacle in the first fixture on each branch after the neutral is split. You can do a split outlet, you just need to use two seperate neutrals and break the tabs off both sides of the receptacles not just the hot side.

I don't really follow your GFCI the 230V first to get both115V logic but I think a 230V GFCI breaker would cost more than a 3 pack of 120V GFCI Receptacles. Easiest thing to do is put one in each required location and not worry about downstream wiring.

Around here, I think it's non-code to split a 115V circuit off a 230 one. No idea if that's true where you are. Your inspector will know.

At any rate, if you want to put a 20A breaker on this, all the wiring all the way to the end must be 12ga or heavier. You might as well use

Yup. Your only option, if you want to put GF protection on the whole circuit, is a dual-pole GFCI breaker in the panel. Brace yourself, these aren't cheap.

Don't think so.

Yes, that would work, if you and your inspector decide the 230 V outlet doesn't need GF protection.

Yes, exactly. Up here, split outlets are still common and legal for kitchens; only outlets within 1 metre of the sink need to be GF protected. Those *can* be protected by a dual-pole GFCI in the panel, but they may also be 20A single-circuit GFCI outlets.

Chip C Toronto

Hmmm, Worstr case of shock is death!

Simply put your wrong. 120/240 GFCI breakers are available and they work just fine thank you.

Thanks for all the comments. Futher to the original post. Have just checked: The Square D breaker feeding the circuit is DP 15 amp. There are three outlets above garage work bench. The wiring to the first outlet, the duplex 230 volt 15 amp one, is #14 AWG. (R,B,W & gnd.) =46rom that (single leg) B,W & gnd are extended to the other two duplex