GFI Receptacles for water fountains? 1

[TomFitz]

When installing water fountains, can the recepticle used for the water fountain (cooler) compressor be an ordinary receptacle or must it be GFI.
I'm on a construction site (commercial building) where they are installing water coolers, and every one of them has a regular receptacle even though it is only a few inches away from the water supply and drain lines.. In the event of a water leak I imagine this could be a dangerous situation especially since the water cooler is metal.
I was told that being as it is behind the cooler,.. and that nothing else would be plugged into it, that it would be OK to use a regular receptical..
I was under the impression that any water supply had to be 6 foot away otherwise it had to be a GFI..
Thanks for any info..

Tom

 

[rbulsara]

While your thinking is correct, to my knowledge GFCI for a drinking water fountains is not required by NEC. There may be other agency requiring it such as OSHA.

NEC's thinking (I presume) is that if a receptacle is for a fixed appliance and is not readily accessible to plug in a portable hand held tool/appliance, a personnel GFCI is not required.

But I know many state agencies and local inspectors have required GFCI protectoin for water fountains (coolers) and, as you said ,within 6 feet of any water source including a water fountain or a sink.

I always specify a GFCI within 6 feet of a water source, more to play it safe.

 

[peebee]

I agree completely.

There is no requirement for GFI on a water fountain anywhere that I am aware of. I've never even heard of the local AHJ requirements for GFI on fountains that rbulsara described, although that would not surprise me.

I too think GFI is a great idea for a situation where the operator grabs a piece of electrical equipment and sticks his mouth in water. I have heard rumors of Code panels giving strong consideration to making GFI a requirement for fountains. I too specify them, although oftentimes someone points out that they are not required and they get rejected.

 

[rbulsara]

My state's DOE (dept of education)'s reviewers required them all of their projects, some of which I was involved in.

 

[TomFitz]

Thanks for the responses....
The only other source I found prohibiting this was:
UF Construction Standards
SECTION 16050 - BASIC ELECTRICAL MATERIALS AND METHODS
PART 1 - GENERAL
1.7 WIRING METHODS:
B. GFI RECEPTACLES:
Receptacles installed within 6 feet of sinks or water fountains shall be GFI receptacles. GFI receptacles cannot be fed through to other "Non-GFI" receptacles.

But being as this is a federal government project, my suggestion to specify GFI fall on deaf ears..

 

[peebee]

UF -- Uniform Federal?

 

[TWW]

The UF I suppose is a specification related to the new

UF = Unified Facilities (Criteria), It is a series of documents put out by the army corps, naval facilities command and air force civil engineer support agency. The purpose is to streamline common requirements of the DOD specifications.

The latest UFC 3-520-01 (Interior Electrical Systems) Simply instructs to follow the current NEC in regard to general wiring practices.

And this was a resent topic of a mike holt code quiz. I could not recover it, but I think mike holt said that the GFCI is NOT a code requirement for drinking fountains, UNLESS the drinking fountain is located in area that requires general GFCI protection (ie. bathrooms, kitchen counters and outdoors).

 

[DHHall]

NEC Article 210.8 is the main rule for GFCIs. Other applications mandate the use of GFIs, such as, but certainly not limited to
555.9(B)(1)
525.23
511.12
625.22
647.7(A)
620.85
Article 680 coversPools, Fountains, and similar installations (drinking fountain is not included in the definitions of fountains as per 680.2 Definitions.)
210.8 GFCI Protection for Personnel
(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in (1) through (8) shall have GFCI protection for personnel.
(1) Bathrooms
etc. etc.
(6) Kitchens -- where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces.
(7) Wet bar sinks -- where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces and are located within 6 ft of the outside edge of the wet bar sink.

I know of nowhere in the NEC where it says any receptacle within 6 ft of water has to be GFCI protected. Of course you can do it if you wish. You can put almost any 125 volt receptacle as a GFCI. Your AHJ can approve any equipment, materials, installations, or procedures.

 

[pablo02]

I do not have a copy of the proposed changes for the next issue of NFPA 70 (NEC), but I understand that one proposal provides that vending machines be required to use GFCI...

the requirements for GFCI's continue to expand, so possibly drinking fountains will soon be included.... (typically OSHA refers to the existing standards here, so I suspect it does not cover the subject above and beyond NF
PA 70)

Like rbulsara, I too spec GFCI for drinking fountains -- the additional costs should not adversely affect the project... (although I recognize that most contractors cut their bids/costs to the bone -- if it's not required, it's not included)...

 

[bimr]

Here is Mike Holt's reply:

What Code rule requires a receptacle for drinking fountains in commercial/industrial setting to be GFCI protected?

A8. Sorry, but the NEC does not require GFCI protection for any of these applications.

http://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NECQ-HTML/HTML/NEC_Questions008~20030808.htm