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We are in the middle of remodling our kitchen from ground up. I have 5 outlets in the kitchen and wondering how many should be GFCI. I need to replace the outlets anyways since they are not a bright white (25 year old dull white).
The outlets next to the sink both have a switch next to them (disposal and a light), so the outlet plate has them both. I take it a GFCI will work in this area?
We are in the middle of remodling our kitchen from ground up. I have 5 outlets in the kitchen and wondering how many should be GFCI. I need to replace the outlets anyways since they are not a bright white (25 year old dull white).
The outlets next to the sink both have a switch next to them (disposal and a light), so the outlet plate has them both. I take it a GFCI will work in this area?
Should ALL the outlets be GFCI?
Hello PokerMunkee,
In kitchens all outlets that serve countertop surfaces should be equipped with GFCI outlet protection. That would include any outlets on walls, behind wet areas (sinks, etc.) that have features such as countertop breakfast bars on them (open counter surfaces above sinks used to sit at on the opposite side). You would only need one GFCI outlet on the first outlet of the branch. That would be the outlet that is closest to the serving breaker (not necessarily physically closest but electrically closest), if you can easily identify that outlet.
I would expect this is an older home that was never equipped with GFCI's? One thing to be careful and take note of. On many older homes the branch circuit used to service the refrigerator was often times part of the outlet branch circuits. You can leave this refrigerator outlet on the existing branch circuit being serviced by the GFCI. Most newer GFCI outlets can tolerate refrigerator motors cycling on and off without nuisance tripping. However, there is always the possibility the GFCI can trip, without you knowing it, and be off for extended time periods. If you do not have a dedicated outlet for the refrigerator you might want to consider handling this while doing the remodeling.
Since you are asking about GFCI's, have you ensured all of your bathroom outlets are protected? Another area is all 15 and 20 Amp receptacles servicing countertop areas and/or within 6' of wet bars and sinks in other areas? Another very important place are exterior accessory outlets and garage outlets as well.
Good luck on the remodel and it is refreshing to see safety is a concern with your project!
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The previous post is correct. You only need one GFCI as long as it's installed as the first outlet in the circuit (or at least upstream of anything else that needs protection) and wired correctly.
OUr inspetor required every outlet in the kitchen to be GFCI protected. You an get a GFCI breaker to protect the entire kitchen circiut(s) That is expensive and not as convenient. If it trips, you have to go into the basement to reset it. However e did use it on one circuit where we just could not fir a GFCI inot any of the outlet boxes on that circuit.
One point worth noting: It's possible to wire a circuit such that the downstream outlets are not protected by the GFCI outlet (even though they are all on the same circuit). For certainty, each outlet should be tested.
I found this to be the case in a prior house I owned. A circuit looped from the downstairs powder room up to two bathrooms on the second level. The first floor bathroom had a GFCI. We discovered through an inspection that each subsequent outlet had been wired by dropping each from the circuit rather than running the circuit through it. (Hopefully that makes sense to those more knowledgeable about these things.) The original electrician apparently did this because he had a problem with the GFCI constantly tripping, and rather than solve the problem he just dropped the other outlets off the circuit, leaving none protected in the two upstairs bathrooms.
[I'm not sure I've described that correctly. I know the inspector understood what had been done, and actually put stickers on all the other outlets until I was able to get the problem fixed.]
Last edited by CHTransplant; 11-17-2009 at 07:57 AM..
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
OUr inspetor required every outlet in the kitchen to be GFCI protected. You an get a GFCI breaker to protect the entire kitchen circiut(s) That is expensive and not as convenient. If it trips, you have to go into the basement to reset it. However e did use it on one circuit where we just could not fir a GFCI inot any of the outlet boxes on that circuit.
Anything in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, unfinished basement or outdoors should have GFI protection.
Coldjensens makes a good point about GFI outlets "not fitting". If you have the old steel wall boxes they are simply too small for GFI outlets. Replacing them is time conusming but fairly easy as electrical projects go. Replacing all of them would be a real bear and it isn't necessary.
If your house is older you probably have a single circuit providing power to all of the outlets in the kitchen. This means that one of those kitchen outlets is "upstream" of all the others and the power flowing from the breaker panel passes through that outlet on its way to all the others in the kitchen. You need to figure out which one that is and replace it with a GFCI outlet wired to protect all of the "downstream" outlets and appliances. There is probably a better way to do this, but in places that I did not have attic access to examine the wiring I would (i) cut off power to the kitchen circuit by disengaging the appropriate circuit breaker, (ii)verify that the power in the kitchen is off with a multimeter or a voltage tester, (iii) double verify the power is off by testing a light or plugging in an appliance, (iv) triple verify the power is off by removing the outlet cover and tapping a hot lead with the back of my least favorite finger, (v) unhooking the feed wire (should be the black sheathed wire) from the outlet I most suspect is feeding all the others and capping it with a wire nut and (vi) restoring power at the breaker panel.
If none of the outlets or lights in the kitchen work after restoring power, you got it right and this is the outlet that needs to be replaced with a GFCI.
Note that Escanlan has a very good point about the refrigerator. If you find that the refrigerator is not on a dedicated circuit, I would seriously consider pulling a new wire for it.
We are in the middle of remodling our kitchen from ground up. I have 5 outlets in the kitchen and wondering how many should be GFCI. I need to replace the outlets anyways since they are not a bright white (25 year old dull white).
The outlets next to the sink both have a switch next to them (disposal and a light), so the outlet plate has them both. I take it a GFCI will work in this area?
Should ALL the outlets be GFCI?
The answer to this question is going to depend greatly on the codes in your area.
A lot of people will say that you only need 1 GFCI outlet, but that the others have to be wired through it. In practice, that is adequate.
However, local codes may require something entirely different.
Also, for no more than GFCI outlets now cost ($5 - $10 each), there's probably no good reason to skimp on them.
the correct answer is two. Ask your electrician about it.
Puzzling answer. What is the reason?
Four our kitchen the minimum amount was four because we have four circuits in the kitchen outlets. COuld we have done it with two?
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