OK, so I’m getting the MILs’ house of 35 years (with no real maintenance or upgrades) ready to put on the market…
Lots of painting, some plumbing…..rouge & paste on the old lady…but also changing over the kitchen & bath outlets to GFIs….and wondering what, per section 210.8(A)(5) of the NEC constitutes an “unfinished basement”
Do I need to change over all the basement outlets to GFIs now that we pulled down all the moldy, warped masonite paneling from the walls?
I don’t have the code book….can anyone help me here…Thanks!!
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Replies
Just change out the Basement Breakers in the Main to a Gfi Breaker if you can simple, less time spent.
Well, that was the plan if necessary.....there is a sink in the basement with an outlet that needs to be changed, finished basement or not, but unless I need by code to do all the basement outlets I don't want to spend the time & money.....won't get it back out of the sale, & GFI's are a pain in places where you don't really need them....
Depends on how many different circuits you have for the basement. I'm no electrician but my understanding is you only need to change to one GFCI per circuit, make it the upstream one (closest to the panel) then if any other plugs on that circuit they can remain as is and feed from that GFCI.
Hope this is not too obvious or incorrect, slap me otherwise ;-)
"NEC constitutes an "unfinished basement""
A space that is not habbital. Now that is clear as mud.
This is really up to interpretation, but basicallic "finished" floors, walls, and ceilings.
But again what is finished. You can go for the loft look and have painted joist and stained/sealed concrete floors.
But a common sense definitions would say, in the condition that it is in would most people want to see and watch TV or play pool for a couple of hours.
If no then it is not finished.
And only RECEPTICAL and not lighting outets need to be GFCI protected in unfinished basements.
And there are also exceptions for receptacles dedicated to equipment that is not nomraly moved. That include refigerators, freezers, and sump pumps. In fact you definitly don't want those on GFCI's.
Some inspectors will make you replace duplex receptacle with simplex at those locations so tht something else can't be plugged in.
But you don't need to be too exactly about this.
Unless your local requires such upgrades anything that you do in this area is only to make more desirable.