The line cords are designed to be safe to operate on a 20A ckt. That means, for instance, that the conductors will survive the available fault current for the time until a 20A breaker/fuse will open. That is why you can have 18ga extension cords on a 20A ckt. I wouldn't bet that is true on a 30A breaker, which may have a higher fault current or will take a lot longer to trip at the same fault current.
A smart person uses UL listed equipment.
Go have a look at the line cord on a sump pump. Tell me what gauge the conductors are.
You're obviously another one of those misguided souls who believes that breakers are there to protect the stuff that's plugged in to the receptacles.
Repeat after me: Breakers are there to protect the branch circuit wiring. Breakers are there to protect the branch circuit wiring. Breakers are there to protect the branch circuit wiring. Breakers are there to protect the branch circuit wiring.
Then look at 240.5(B)(2)
(2) Fixture Wire. Fixture wire shall be permitted to be tapped to the branch-circuit conductor of a branch circuit in accordance with the following: (1) 20-ampere circuits ? 18 AWG, up to 15 m (50 ft) of run length (2) 20-ampere circuits ? 16 AWG, up to 30 m (100 ft) of run length (3) 20-ampere circuits ? 14 AWG and larger (4) 30-ampere circuits ? 14 AWG and larger
Hummm, is that true of GFCI and arc fault breakers too? I be scared 'O lectwisity. Dat's why I don't be messin wit nuttin over 13.8kv.
TDD
Does not apply. We're talking about a cord-and-plug connection. A line cord is
*not* "fixture wire".
Same chart applies
240.5 Protection of Flexible Cords, Flexible Cables, and Fixture Wires. Flexible cord and flexible cable, including tinsel cord and extension cords, and fixture wires shall be protected against overcurrent by either 240.5(A) or (B). (B) Branch-Circuit Overcurrent Device. Flexible cord shall be protected, where supplied by a branch circuit, in accordance with one of the methods described in 240.5(B)(1), (B)(3), or (B)(4). Fixture wire shall be protected, where supplied by a branch circuit, in accordance with 240.5(B)(2).In my opinion the "Electrical code" is writing by bunch of F------ morons Yes we need some type of guidance but some of codes are so stupid and unusable it is not funny it is ridicules. Because some dumb bastard did something stupid got self kill, then they punished all of people by putting some nuisance code that all rest of us got to pay for it and those are facts, the system in this Country is that it don't make any since. I do not care if any one agree with me or not, over 40 years working for industry I seen it all. But then again their are some license Electricians doing such slapy work I would not just take their license, but put them in jail for few years.
Thanks. I did read something about that on an old forum when I did an Internet search prior to my original post. I guess the concept is that the purpose of the GFCI's in unfinished basements is to prevent ordinary users from a shock hazard if they unplug an appliance or device (including a sump pump) and use the receptacle for another purpose. And, I guess they assume that would not apply for a 220-volt receptacle.
Although that means I could change the whole circuit wiring to 220 volts, and get a new 220-volt sump pump, I don't plan on doing that. One reason is that if somehow the 220-volt is safe enough according to NEC for the actual use of the sump pump (without unplugging it and plugging something else in), then that would be no more safe than me just changing the 110-volt GFCI outlet to a non-GFCI outlet (as long as no one unplugs that and plugs something else in).
So, I guess I'll either cheat and change the existing GFCI to a non-GFCI outlet, or I'll hard wire it since it is less than 30 feet away from, and in direct line of sight with, the main panel circuit breaker for the sump pump.
That ignores what I wrote.
Using time-trip curves for SquareD, and based on over 1500 field measurements made by UL, a short circuit at the end of a 6' #18 line cord plugged into a branch circuit is very likely to trip a 15 or 20A breaker on "instantaneous". In all cases the breaker would trip in 3 seconds and in that case the fault current was 80A.
In fact, breakers do provide significant protection for "the stuff that is plugged in to the receptacles". Why do you think the NEC has the tap rules that were provided by gfretwell?
And GFCIs and AFCIs increase the protection for "the stuff that is plugged in to the receptacles".
David Dini from UL has written "The branch circuit overcurrent protective device (OCPD), (i.e. a fuse or circuit breaker), is specifically designed to protect electrical circuits, including the branch circuit conductors and flexible cords, against the unwanted effects of overcurrents."
------------ Regarding your kludge of the sump pump on a 30A circuit - if the pump was UL labeled (highly likely) it is a code violation under 110.3-B. Your point of a 30A circuit was to avoid a code violation.
I agree.
Good point; thanks.
An EC&M Article directly addressing this
Why would you EVER put something like a sump pump A) on a shared circuit, and / or B) - on a GFCI????
And with a ceiling mounted plug for the sump pump, nothing less than a twist-lock should even be considered - - - -Either an L5-15 or L5-20
Taking due note of the fact that the original question was posted six years ago...
What about a duplex outlet supplying both the 120V sump pump and the charger for the battery-powered backup pump? Does that circuit need a GFCI breaker?
Perce
Article 620.85 applies to elevators, dumbwaiters, and escalators. The sump pump that is referred to is one that might be located in a pit under this type of equipment, NOT in a residence.
John Grabowski
When I was angsting over what to protect and how, I came across this article from the Mike Holt archives. Since it deals with dwellings, I assume this is the relevant section (sump pumps at very end):
a.. Author's Comment: Proposals to allow receptacles for dedicated equipment in the bathroom area to be exempted from the GFCI protection rules were rejected because the code panel members felt that it was not in the interest of safety to allow appliances without GFCI protection in this area.
(2) Garage and Accessory Building Receptacles. GFCI protection is required for all 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles in garages and grade-level portions of unfinished or finished accessory buildings used for storage or work areas of a dwelling unit. Figure 9
Exception No. 1: GFCI protection is not required for receptacles that are not readily accessible, such as a ceiling-mounted receptacle for the garage door opener.
Exception No. 2: GFCI protection is not required for a receptacle on a dedicated branch circuit located and identified for a specific cord-and-plug-connected appliance, such as a refrigerator or freezer.
a.. Author's Comment: Receptacles are not required in accessory buildings, but if a 15A or 20A, 125V receptacle is installed, it must be GFCI-protected. Figure 10
(3) Outdoor Receptacles. All 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles outdoors of dwelling unit, including receptacles installed under the eaves of roofs shall be GFCI-protected. Figure 11
a.. Author's Comment: Receptacles are not required outdoors of a multifamily dwelling, but if a 15A or 20A, 125V receptacle is installed, it must be GFCI-protected. Figure 12
Exception: GFCI protection is not required for fixed electric snow melting or deicing equipment receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a dedicated branch circuit in accordance with 426.28. Figure 13
(4) Crawl Space Receptacles. All 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles installed within a dwelling unit crawl space must be GFCI-protected.
a.. Author's Comment: The Code does not require a 15A or 20A, 125V receptacle to be installed in the crawl space, except when air-conditioning or heating equipment is installed in this area, see 210.63.
(5) Unfinished Basement Receptacles. GFCI protection is required for all 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles in each unfinished portion of a basement not intended as a habitable room, but used for storage or as a work area. Figure
14Exception No. 1: GFCI protection is not required for receptacles that are not readily accessible.
Exception No. 2: GFCI protection is not required for a receptacle on a dedicated branch circuit located and identified for a specific cord-and-plug-connected appliance, such as a sump pump.
Does this mean it can have a double-receptacle? And still not require GFCI?
My house was clearly designed with a receptacle right next to the sump pump. But it's a two outlet receptacle.
Good question. My own inclination would be to replace that dedicated duplex sump pump outlet with a single twist lock outlet and plug so that if someone decided to use that outlet for something else, it would be incompatible with normal plugs. Whether they would remember to reconnect the twist lock plug to the outlet after discovering that fact is anyone's guess. (-:
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