For the plans, does each receptacle on a GFCI circuit need to be of type GFCI?


DIYJon
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...or just the first outlet?

 

Also, should I create a custom line type to use with electrical connections that reads GFCI in the middle of the line to denote which part of a circuit is protected?  

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For purposes of the plan, yes.  In reality the electrician may not use GFCI outlets if the circuit itself is protected.  However, he or she will place labels on non GFCI outlets where they are protected.

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For the purpose of modeling accuracy, I presume I would use a standard 110V CAD block and simply check off GFCI in the options for that receptacle so the model doesn't show individual GFCI outlets in the rendering.  Yes?

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What are you doing? Are you building a 3d model to look at a representation of a finished house or are you drafting construction documents? If you are drafting construction documents, the building department plan checkers want to see GFCI labeled at each outlet that is protected. That is the architectural standard. 

 

If you are trying to make a 3d model with utmost accuracy, none of the outlets will be using the 3d model gfci unit since the breaker itself feeding the circuit would be gfci protected in a present construction. Also, if your 3d model holds that level of accuracy I am screaming in pain.

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I'm sorry to hear that it pains you so much to produce accurate representations of a design.  I'm renovating a 1973 townhome, and I'm documenting it, and I'm drafting plans for the city so I can legally perform the work, which I'm doing myself.  I'm also researching this entire process called Architecture, of which I have no formal training.  We call that learning.  I am the building department.

 

Would you recommend, since part of this renovation is converting to copper, that I deploy GFCI breakers instead of being concerned with GFCI receptacles?  I hadn't considered this.

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2 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

What are you doing? Are you building a 3d model to look at a representation of a finished house or are you drafting construction documents? If you are drafting construction documents, the building department plan checkers want to see GFCI labeled at each outlet that is protected. That is the architectural standard. 

 

If you are trying to make a 3d model with utmost accuracy, none of the outlets will be using the 3d model gfci unit since the breaker itself feeding the circuit would be gfci protected in a present construction. Also, if your 3d model holds that level of accuracy I am screaming in pain.

You would die from pain if you saw Yoda's plans :D

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Chief plans when doing electrical typically show "connections" for switching only, not circuits.  Thus outlets are placed on walls and cabinets and wherever, but are not shown with circuit connection lines.

 

I place GFCI receps where required by code and the electrical contractor has a choice how to arrange circuits.

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14 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

Chief plans when doing electrical typically show "connections" for switching only, not circuits.  Thus outlets are placed on walls and cabinets and wherever, but are not shown with circuit connection lines.

 

I place GFCI receps where required by code and the electrical contractor has a choice how to arrange circuits.

You can always turn on a label for electrical connection to show a branch circuit label :)
or you can use polylines that can produce a schedule that looks like a panel schedule :)

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In regards to GFCI breaker vs. outlet, if this is new, my electrician would establish the circuit with a GFCI breaker. This is likely a more stable system. The GFCI outlets are more fickle than the breakers. This is an existing system, everything fed by the circuit would be GFCI protected and if there are items that share the home run they would also be included. So if they had branched out and fed an outlet outside the kitchen with the same circuit it gets included. The convenience is that you don't need to hunt for the location of the GFCI outlet that is feeding the run. That can sometimes be a mystery (like at my house where an underqualified homeowner did some wiring who could have been me).

 

The new codes have almost all circuits required to be afci/gfci combos so I am not sure if there is any downside to having a gfci breaker feed a non wet area breaker. The next time I chat with an electrician I will try to bring that up in casual conversation (I really need to start following sports or competitive fishing to expand my repertoire of casual conversations)

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There is no difference in protection whether the GFCI is in the service panel or Receptacle A.

image.thumb.png.99bd00ca895a29c1db819903d1544540.png

 

Most homes, we use two circuits to feed kitchen countertop outlets which must be GFCI protected.  We alternate the outlets so that any two adjacent outlets are on different circuits and using multiple adjacent countertop appliances (like an air fryer, a toaster and a blender) aren't all pulling amperage from the same circuit.

 

To save money, we wire the 4-5 dining room outlets using Circuit 1 (20amp breaker), then install 1 GFI in the kitchen and protect every other outlet using that.  We then wire the 4-5 dinette or living area outlets using Circuit 2 (20 amp breaker), then install a second GFI in the kitchen and protect the other remaining alternating outlets.

 

Similarly, you could wire a bathroom GFI off a guest bedroom using the shared circuit, but bedrooms only require 15amps.  To save money, we wire all bathrooms on 1 20amp circuit.  Usually putting the GFCI receptacle in the Master, then feeding the kids, guest & half baths downstream. 

 

Whether to use a GFCI breaker vs. GFCI receptacle boils down to "how far do you want to travel when it trips?"  1-2 flights of stairs vs. simply leaning over a countertop and hitting reset....personally I'd choose option 2 every day.  Especially if I'm in my garage and I trip a circuit.  Again - running downstairs to the basement versus resetting a wall outlet in the garage and getting back to work.  The choice is yours.

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19 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

In regards to GFCI breaker vs. outlet, if this is new, my electrician would establish the circuit with a GFCI breaker. This is likely a more stable system. The GFCI outlets are more fickle than the breakers. This is an existing system, everything fed by the circuit would be GFCI protected and if there are items that share the home run they would also be included. So if they had branched out and fed an outlet outside the kitchen with the same circuit it gets included. The convenience is that you don't need to hunt for the location of the GFCI outlet that is feeding the run. That can sometimes be a mystery (like at my house where an underqualified homeowner did some wiring who could have been me).

 

The new codes have almost all circuits required to be afci/gfci combos so I am not sure if there is any downside to having a gfci breaker feed a non wet area breaker. The next time I chat with an electrician I will try to bring that up in casual conversation (I really need to start following sports or competitive fishing to expand my repertoire of casual conversations)

downside is sometimes you jus dont have enough room in the box, though some panels support GFCI slims, not all do. If we've gotta squeeze more breakers in for code on an existing box, then go the route of a GFCI outlet

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