GFCI Info from your Scottsdale Home Inspector

GFCIs  or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters have been around for years. and as a Scottsdale home Inspector, I test them.

Most people do not pay attention to them until there is no power at an outlet, however these units fail on a regular basis, that is why they have test buttons.

Here is a short video about GFCIs but be sure to look below for more information.

People are always asking me when these were required in their home. It is not a simple answer. The codes are written ever 3 years, however the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) like the city or county may not addopt the codes when they come out. Some times they will wait 6-9 years or change sections of the code when they adopt it.

Here is a chart that shows some of the changes in the codes for GFCIs over the years.

Required Locations History

The time when a certain location first required GFCI protection may in some ways be irrelevant, since inspectors routinely recommend these important safety devices wherever they are lacking. Table 6.3 really only tells us whether the lack of a GFCI is an original defect or if recommending the GFCI would be an upgrade. Even with that information, the actual time when a local jurisdic­tion adopted a particular code edition varies widely from one location to another.

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