2002 NEC overruling for GFCI-protection of motors - why? 1

[levithon]

Hi,

I'm new to this board and have a question concerning GFCI-protection of motors. I'm not familiar with the NEC or its decision making procedures, but had the following questions:

1) Is it true that in the latest NEC codebook (2002), that the requirement for GFCI-protection of swimming pool motors for commercial/semi-commercial applications has been reversed?

2) If so, do you know what the reason for this was?

This is what I have been told:
a) There is no requirement for putting swimming pool pumps/motors on GFCI for residential homes, that this rule (680-6(d))applies only for commercial applications.
b) That the original impetus for having 680-6(d) was a concern by the Board of Health when a commercial pool pump accidentally tripped and raised health issues about unfiltered water.
c) That as of the 2002 NEC codebook, that even the commercial rule has been backed out so that now NO motor is required to be GFCI-protected.
d) That most electricians were against GFCI-protection of swimming pool motors in the first place.
e) That the reason they are against it is because the accidental tripping potential is a huge annoyance.
f) That the liklihood of a hazzardous/life-threatening situation due to not having a swimming pool pump GFCI-protected is extremely improbable.

Levithon

 

[stevenal]

Looks like the GFCI requirement has been moved to 680.22(A)(5), and has been expanded to include dwelling units. All single phase plug connected motors require the protection, opposite your claim in (c) above.

 

[resqcapt19]

Any time you want to research a change from the 99 to the 02 code you should look at these sites. The first is the "Report on Proposals" which is all of the proposed changes, the reason that the change was proposed, the action on the proposal and the reason for the action. The second is the "Report on Comments" which is the public comments on the action taken in the Report on Proposals. These are must have documents for any serious study of the NEC. They constitute the legislative history of any change.

http://www.nfpa.org/nec/TheNEC/ROPsROCs/ROPs/ROPByArticle/ROPByArticle.asp

http://www.nfpa.org/nec/TheNEC/ROPsROCs/ROCs/ROCByArticle/ROCByArticle.asp

Don(resqcapt19)

 

[jlhmaint]

if you haven't been to this site i go to it alot, it is full of very experienced electricians and people who know and go over several NEC issues and code violations when ever you have a question ask this group and you will get an answer.

http://electrical-contractor.net/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true