These devices are considered to be equipment protection devices and not personnel protection devices. Ground-fault sensing and relaying equipment is intended for use in power distribution systems rated at 600 volts maximum. The trip ratings for these devices are usually in the 30 milliamp and higher range (anything higher than the 6 milliamps for a Class A GFCI device). Section 426-28 requires ground fault protection of equipment for fixed outdoor electric deicing and snow-melting equipment and Section 427-22 requires the same for electric heat tracing and heating panels. This device will open all ungrounded conductors of the supply circuit to electrical equipment if the current in excess of the trip current occurs between live parts and the grounded enclosure or other grounded parts of the system.Īgain, it does not take the place of the branch circuit overcurrent protection device in the circuit. Ground fault protection equipment (GFPE) can either consist of an equipment leakage current interrupter (ELCI) or ground fault sensing and relaying equipment.Īn ELCI is a device intended to provide leakage current protection in electrical appliances and electrical utilization equipment. Section 422-41 in the NEC requires cord- and plug-connected freestanding hydromassage units and hand-held hair dryers subject to immersion in water to be protected by an IDCI. Again, it is not the intent to replace a GFCI with an IDCI where a GFCI is required by the NEC and it does not take the place of the branch circuit overcurrent protection device in the circuit.
It is not the intent to replace a GFCI with an ALCI where a GFCI is required by the NEC and it does not take the place of the branch circuit overcurrent protection device in the circuit.Īn immersion-detection circuit-interrupter (IDCI) is another device intended to be used with electric appliances and designed to interrupt circuit to the load when an appliance is unintentionally immersed in water. It is a device intended to be used in conjunction with an electrical appliance and is designed to interrupt the circuit when a ground fault current exceeds 6 milliamps. Therefore, a Class B device with a higher trip current was permitted.Īnother GFCI-Type device is an appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI). Often the electrical equipment in older pools had a leakage current that was greater than the 5 milliamps required for a Class A GFCI and this leakage current would cause nuisance tripping of the circuit. When using a Class B GFCI, the swimming pool lighting circuit must be disconnected before servicing or relamping the lighting fixture.
#FACELESS GFCI CODE#
There is a Class A GFCI that trips when a ground fault current exceeds 5 milliamps and there is a Class B GFCI that trips when a ground fault current exceeds 20 milliamps.Ī Class B GFCI with a 20 milliamp trip level is to be used only for protection of underwater swimming pool lighting fixtures installed before adoption of the 1965 National Electrical Code (NEC). The basic definition of a ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) is a general-use device whose function is to interrupt the electric circuit to a load within an established period of time. Three basic ground fault systems or leakage current protection devices are used in the electrical system: ground fault protection for personnel that are UL Listed in accordance with UL 943, immersion detection protection for appliances that are UL Listed in accordance with UL 1664, and ground fault protection for equipment that is UL Listed in accordance with UL 1053. The most important thing to understand about ground fault protection devices is that one type is to protect personnel and the other is to protect electrical equipment, the latter having different trip levels for different types of protection.