Home Inspector-GFCI

[rich000]

I had a home owner call and say that their bathroom vanity light was not grounded. I came out and checked it out and the fixture was loose (i.e. various pieces screw together to make fixture). Circuit was fed by a 14/2 with ground. Ground wire was good and intact. Tightened up and checked for continuity and it was good.

Another item was that the "home inspector" told him he needed a GFCI in the bath and another in the utilty room. Both circuits were each fed by 14/2 (no ground).

The house is 60 years old with no remodel work in either room.

I was under the impression that a GFCI is not required.

The only reason I could come up with is that the outlets were 2 prong and the homeowner swapped them out with 3 prong outlets (non-GFCI).

The inspector may have caught this and made the GFCI requirement.

Also, if you replace a 2 prong outlet with a GFCI, will the GFCI trip? I tested it with the GFCI button and it tripped, however, my tester did not trip the GFCI.

Any thoughts?

 

[electricman2]

Re: Home Inspector-GFCI

A non-grounding receptacle(2prong) cannot be replaced with a grounding receptacle where no EGC exists. The rules for replacement of non-grounding receptacles are in 406.3(D)(3)(a)though(c). A GFCI receptacle will provide protection on a 2 wire circuit withouut a EGC. A tester will not function because it places a load between the hot and ground terminal. Of course with no EGC the tester will not work.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Home Inspector-GFCI

Just a little follow up of what John had said.
Yes a GFCI does not need a grounding conductor to work as it does not reference this wire to detect a ground fault. It uses a current coil to with both the hot and the neutral running through it if the current is equal on both then they cancel out each other and no current is produced in the coil. But if the current on the hot is over 5ma more than the current on the neutral this will mean that the return path for the hot current is no longer all on the neutral, then the coil will have current in it and cause the GFCI to trip. now if you push the test button on the GFCI it will still trip but if you use a plug in tester it cant trip it as these use the grounding terminal to trip the GFCI.

As another note: You can also use a GFCI to protect grounding type receptacles down stream of the GFCI. Not just non-grounding type.

[ April 23, 2004, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: hurk27 ]

 

[rich000]

Re: Home Inspector-GFCI

Thank you for the explanation.