Outdoor lights in damp locations must be listed appropriately and wet locations must use fixtures approved for wet locations. Plug-in lighting must plug into an approved GFCI receptacle designed for the area. One GFCI receptacle is required at the front and back of the home, at a location where outdoor lights can easily come into contact with elements like water.
The National Electric Code (NEC) requires ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) for any outdoor lighting under section 210.8. Exterior light fixtures do not require GFCI protection, but low-voltage lighting systems must be listed by an approved testing agency as an entire system or assembled from individual components that are listed. GFCIs detect abnormal power surges and instantly turn off the power.
Outdoor receptacles are required to be GFCI protected. For outdoor lights mounted on the side of the house, wet location, and the switch being indoors, individual GFCI outlets do not have to be on their own circuits. GFCI protection is a requirement on all outdoor circuits, including all exterior lighting, deck and porch lighting, and pool lights.
In general, hardwired exterior lights do not require GFCI unless they are in wet locations, such as swimming pool lights. The NEC only requires GFCI’s for receptacles in residences, one for pools/spas, and lights withing a pool. There is no NEC requirement to GFCI protect any exterior lighting, but it is generally necessary for certain situations.
📹 Where and Why Do We Need GFCI Protection?
GFCI protection has been around for quite some time now. But, as the NEC is ever evolving and changing as situations dictate, …
Does NEC allow lights and outlets on same circuit?
In accordance with the recommendations set forth in the relevant electrical codes, the number of lighting fixtures and outlets on a given circuit should be limited to a maximum of 8-10 per 15-amp circuit breaker. It is important to note that the average residential property may have as many as 20-30 circuit breakers.
Do exterior lights need dedicated circuit?
The National Electrical Code does not mandate the use of separate circuits for outdoor lighting. However, some professionals recommend this practice to prevent the formation of dark areas. However, a GFCI outlet is required for Christmas lights due to their exposure to outdoor weather conditions. It is recommended that the height of the outdoor outlet be at least one foot above the ground.
What type of protection is required for the lighting outlets outdoors?
GFCI protection is now mandatory for all receptacles installed in kitchens, including refrigerator, disposal, and microwave receptacles. This requirement applies to all cord-and-plug connection points in the kitchen, including sinks and permanent provisions for cooking or food and beverage preparation. GFCI protection is also required on branch circuits or outlets for electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, microwave ovens, and clothes dryers.
Outdoor outlets rated 50 amp or less in garages and outlets rated not over 150 volt to ground, 50 amp or less in accessory buildings and boathouses, and all receptacles rated 60 amp or less within 20 feet of a swimming pool wall must also be protected. GFCI outlets are commonly used in homes to protect individuals against electrocution. They feature sensors to detect electrical surges and immediately cut off the power. There are three types of GFCI outlets, each with its own purpose and application in a specific setting.
Does my outdoor outlet need to be GFCI?
Outdoor electrical outlets are different from indoor outlets due to their watertight covers and the National Electrical Code’s requirement for ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. Before installing an outdoor outlet, determine the desired exterior wall and locate an interior outlet on that wall. If an indoor outlet is unavailable, use an outdoor outlet opposite the desired outlet. Ensure the indoor outlet can handle the new exterior GFCI outlet without overloading and use a voltage tester to ensure proper operation.
Building codes prohibit tapping power from kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or outlets dedicated to large appliances. If an indoor outlet is unavailable, run cable from another power source, such as another outdoor outlet or a basement junction box.
Turn off the power at the circuit breaker and use a voltage tester to ensure the power is off at the indoor outlet. Place a sign on the circuit breaker to warn others of electrical work in progress. Unscrew and remove the wall plate on the indoor outlet, remove the outlet receptacle, and disconnect the wires from the outlet. Ensure the electrical box is large enough to hold additional wires to prevent fire hazards. If the box already has too many wires, replace it with a larger, plastic remodeling box.
How do I find the GFCI for my outdoor lights?
Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) can be found in a variety of locations, including garages, exterior spaces, electrical panels, and by exterior doors. In order to ascertain which GFCI is supplying power to the outdoor outlet, it is necessary to press the test button on each GFCI, on the assumption that power is present at the outdoor outlet.
Can outdoor lights and outlets be on the same circuit?
DIY wiring of outlets and lights on the same circuit can be dangerous and potentially cause electrocution or fires. If you have no prior experience with electrical wiring, hiring an electrician is recommended. The cost of hiring an electrician ranges between $50 and $100 per hour, including materials. The first hour is typically $150 to cover travel fees and unforeseen circumstances. DIYers can save around $50 if they feel confident in their ability to wire outlets and lights on the same circuit. Some local codes may require separate circuits to prevent total darkness and damage to receptacle outlets. Installing a separate circuit is cheaper, easier, and more convenient than DIYing.
Do outdoor lights need to be on their own circuit?
If you’re running new circuits, consider adding outdoor LED lighting to an existing circuit to avoid being left in the dark if a large outdoor load or ground fault blows the new circuit. Conduit pipes can accommodate up to four small circuits (15-20A), but larger circuits may face thermal derate issues per NEC 310. 15(B)(a). Using narrow and flat UF cable in conduit can be problematic, as conduit fill rules require a conduit inside diameter of 260 of the cable’s width. Even two UF cables may be a problem in 1″ conduit.
Do exterior lights have to be on GFCI?
GFCI protection is a requirement on all outdoor circuits, including exterior lighting, deck and porch outlets, and outlets around swimming pools or hot tubs. It is also necessary for garage outlets below 4 feet in height. This is due to the risk of water contact with the wiring, which could lead to accidents. GFCI protection can be installed at individual outlets or at the breaker box, depending on the desired level of protection. It is crucial to ensure the safety of all outdoor circuits.
What does not require GFCI protection?
It is not necessary to provide GFCI protection for smoke detector or alarm system receptacles located in bathrooms, boathouses, or crawlspaces situated below grade level.
Shall GFCI protection be provided for lighting outlets?
In accordance with the prevailing wiring and protection regulations, it is imperative that GFCI protection be employed for lighting outlets situated in crawl spaces that do not exceed 120 volts.
📹 GFCI protection on outdoor lighting?2026 NEC
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Wish, back in 1952, the house we lived in had a Ground Fault Breaker for the Basement. I was 7 years old went down into the basement and wanted to turn the light on but could not reach the chain. So I climbed up on the water tank and grabbed the chain. Getting electrocuted I Immediately started screaming and was frozen between the string and tank. My mother came running down the stairs with a wooden broom and knocked me off the tank. I had two black holes burned into my thumb and the doctor put me to bed for two days.
I’ve got a good GFCI outlet story. I service microscopes in hospitals and schools. There are student microscopes that have 5W fluorescent lamps that have a very simple circuit having just a SPST switch on the incoming hot and a ballast in series with the self-starting lamp. When plugged into a GFCI circuit, these microscopes can trip the GFCI when you turn OFF the power switch. My theory is that when you turn off the switch when the incoming AC is at the peak voltage, the collapsing magnetic field of the ballast causes a high voltage arc to ground so the GFCI sees current on the neutral that isn’t on the hot. At 1 school I was at, there were 4 hexagonal benches with a GFCI outlet at every face. That’s 24 separate GFCI outlets. When I turned off the microscopes, not only would the GFCI outlet trip that the microscope was plugged into, but several other GFCI’s would trip with it. Why do electricians install several GFCI outlets in a bench instead of just one supplying protection to the other outlets on the same bench?
Is a 220V dryer outlet/receptacle need to be GFCI? Techniclally it is in a wet environment like the washer outlet, but generally you wouldnt be continually plugging or un plugging it most of the time the dryer stays plugged in unless you are changing it out or working on it. So does it need to be GFCI, is it a good idea to have a GFCI on it even if not required?
I question the idea of the code saying HVAC units themselves have to have GFCI protection after Sept 1, 2026. The NEC section is about receptacles and not about equipment. I think what is meant that if a new outside condensing unit is changed out then the 15/20 amp receptacle has to be installed with a GFCI and if there is just a receptacle it must be updated to a GFCI. But what do I know 🙂
Protection has become so expansive, its less trouble (IMO) to just used AFCI/GFCI dual-function breakers and protect the entire house. I am renovating my whole house and that is our approach. We are using gas appliances so it is less an issue than if we had an electric range, dryer and/or furnace. We projected only having one unprotected circuit for the air conditioner, though there is a service outlet in the disconnect panel that is GFCI protected locally. However, if the next round of code is going to add the A/C to the list, we may just go ahead and do that now. Not much of a change in the grand scheme. We also upgraded the 100amp service (12 breaker position main panel) to a 200amp service (48 positions) with plug on neutrals. Made the project much easier and we don’t have to track down-stream receptacles for labeling.
I’m a maintenance guy for a housing company in Ohio. Our oldest house is 15 years old. During our last inspection last summer the inspector failed all 38 houses for not having GFCI outlet in the ceiling where the garage door opener plugs in. This makes no sense to me. The garage has an outlet at ground level that is GFCI. But the outlet at the garage door opener is on a 10ft high ceiling. No one is plugging their shop vac into it. Not to mention, If the GFCI outlet trips when you try to open the door and your car is parked under it, I’m not really wanting to stand on my $50,000 car to push a button on the outlet to reset it. Seems like a Dumb place to require one to me.
Our 64 house has some interesting wiring. One circuit on the back of the house covers a kitchen wall, the back porch outlet, and the guest bathroom. The people that remodeled it clearly didnt have an electrician, as every single one of those areas has it’s own GFCI. Now, every time it’s slightly humid outside, we get to play a game of “which GFCI tripped.”
1. Garbage Disposal Switches Should be on GFCI’s IMO ! – Hand under faucet, other hand on live switch. 2. About GFCI not supposed to control a branch circuit – Isn’t that the purpose of GFCI Breakers ? 3. End of Exception 3 – GFCI is Required on a light fixture with a built-in convenience receptacle — picture the typical porcelain closet fixture. Pointless, but they Buried the Requirement into an Exception ! Ranges & Dryers – Only require GFCI if Less than 150 Volts — Please make more clear next time. Another great article, as always. Much appreciated.
I learned the hard way, some refrigerators do not like GFCI receptacles. Had a frige that kept tripping the GFCI but the owners manual says it, DO NOT USE A GFCI so I connected a regular receptacle and life was good. I have a GFCI at my house with my frige because the receptacle is so close to the sink. I had it like that for years and never had a problem but every frige is different.
A GFCI protects against electric shock from indirect contact and should be used EVERYWHERE!!! I find those code requirements VERY weak. Here a single whole house GFCI (300mA) is mandatory and about everything you listed (and more) needs a extra 30mA GFCI (in some cases even a 10mA GFCI). Getting shocked from indirect contact is not limited to receptacles listed in that code, it can happen everywhere (defective appliances, spilling fluids, drilling in a wall/cable, … etc).
My Landlord sends me a message saying, my Garage fridge needs to be an “Outdoor Fridge”. I told them Outdoor fridges are different and are weatherproof, and can withstand the elements of rain, snow and direct sunlight……. This doesn’t apply to the fridge I put in the Garage……. Now, Does a fridge in the Garage need to be on a GFCI? My garage drops down approximately 10 inches from the kitchen and throughout the rest of the house. Are they really complaining about the fridge Not being an Outdoor fridge or will they have a case on me if it’s not on a GFCI outlet? My last house had a GFCI outlet and would trip all the time…… it’s just a fridge, no freezer on top….I only use the fridge for drinks, and the occasional birthday cake storage. Should I tell my Landlord to go pound sand?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a article on private boat docks and marinas! Any and all information about them would be much appreciated, including low voltage systems! I’ve found time and time again that the code can easily be misinterpreted and the way that you explain things is MUCH easier to understand and even enjoyable! Thanks for all you do sir there are MANY electricians out there that really appreciate you and what you do!
May the NEC forgive me but I must say it: The only outlet that should not have a GFCI is the refrigerator, because a trip can be a costly waste of food $$$ and even more so in the new “inverter” technology refrigerators where the electronics of the motor collides with the GFCI electronics and causes false trips. With the ground pin and the effective ground fault curent path in the outlet it is more than enough to offer protection against indirect contact in the event of a fault to ground. And even worse if you keep medications such as insulin in the refrigerator, there the loss can even be human due to a stupid GFCI outlet. A strange case of It can’t be done but it “must” be done.
The vent fan thing is ridiculous all this is starting to get ridiculous it should just be with an X number of feet from wet things and outdoor outlets. The UK has this thing called zoning of course they zone off the entire bathroom but they allowed like a foot from the ceiling kind of stuff so the light technically if you can’t reach it is avoided however the light switch falls into the category of can’t be in the bathroom. It’s also interesting they have isolators for their bathroom fans, usually a switch somewhere in the air for above the bathroom door. The problem is all of the stuff was supposed to be installed and maintained by a professional and that is starting to become less and less the case. Which means you either teach the people how to do it you make it as dumb as possible or I don’t know. We’ve been childproofing everything even though children are well never mind I guess most people are children.
It may be time to just stop talking about GFCI and AFCI separately; if a kitchen had GFCI receptacles during construction ten years ago, and they are being replaced now, it is supposed to be the situation, where AFCI/GFCI combo receptacles are now mandatory (unless you have installed AFCI breakers). The simplest differentiator generally is that most lighting circuits now need AFCI, but not GFCI; most other circuits feeding receptacles in a home need both, except for bathrooms that only need GFCI.
What about walkout basements where half of it or more is not below ground level and have been finished out to be habitable? I currently have a GFCI outlet in the living space (no water on that wall at all) that occasionally trips and causes the entire basement to go dark. Can anything be done to fix this?
yes GFCI are a pain in the arss but they will save your life, also there are GFCI breakers, i work at a fish house and we have them everywhere and just a drop of water and they trip, and the people we have love to take a hose and wet everything and i do mean everything even things that should not be wet they will wet down, they are a mut for sure
I’m surprised how “annoying” it seems to be for other people to have GFCI and AFCI protectors. Besides the AFCI breaker for my dad’s room, the rest of our house has been perfect. Never (to my memory) have we had nuisance trips from the GFCI receptacles in our house. The only problem we had was a few years past the use time of the receptacles. 12-ish years in, the test/reset buttons sprung out of the receptacles when trying to reset. Learned that they should’ve been replaced years ago, so I replaced all of the ones we had. Working perfectly fine to this day. (15 years total now)
Hey! Great website! Wish you were here..really..I had an attic fire due to an alleged power surge, but..zero investigation. I’ve had panels replaced, service upgraded, surge protectors installed at the service and the sub panel. I have a GFCI question! So, in running around testing, I have found a GFCI outlet in my kitchen that self tests just fine. However, if you plug a tester in, it says “open ground,” and will not trip. Sooooo…would one find this out first from a nasty shock, or would it actually trip??
Sure, they can be annoying sometimes, but a GFCI saved my butt once – so I’m a big fan. I was taking apart and repairing a dehumidifier once, and kept plugging it in, testing, unplugging, working on it, etc. One time I forgot to unplug. Suddenly I got a weird numb feeling which lasted a microsecond and the GFCI tripped. I had no adverse effects, but quickly realized what happened. I understand electricity and I knew not to do what I did, but one moment of absentmindedness is all it takes. No one is perfect and never makes a mistake. Definitely worth having GFCI’s installed.
Dustin, you missed talking about legacy un grounded Circuits? In my area, a lot of older homes aren’t grounded and this is noted in inspection discrepancy reports. A solution is to protect the outlets with GFCI’s. I don’t believe this is a Code Violation (you don’t have to fix what you don’t touch) but it is a common request from the home buyers because of the report (and yes, a Home Inspector is a completely different animal than a Code Enforcement Officer…. 😉 It does fall into Code Enforcement if the outlets are upgraded in a permitted room where the electrical wiring is not upgraded (This also creates an AFCI potential nightmare…)
We just adopted 2017 NEC here. Inspector told me I need GFCI protection for my 3-phase 30 amp oven receptacle in a commercial kitchen. I searched the internet far and wide, even called Siemens to verify… Sure enough, there is no such thing as a 3-pole 30amp GFCI breaker, nor a 3phase GFCI outlet. How are you guys dealing with this?
what good is a GFCI when the wiring has no ground? (2-wire wiring in old house) Does EVERY outlet in a garage need GFCI or just the ones regularly used? If detached garage has no ground back to the house, can a GFCI be used if there is a ground rod for the GFCI? Can you chain GFCI outlets? Can a GFCI inside be allowed for an outside outlet protection too (outside outlet is branched off a GFCI that is inside a garage)?
So I hear all of this receptacles and the need for protection in damp/potentially wet locations… now what about as a contractor working in damp and wet locations working off an extension cord? Should I be sure to have it plugged up to a GFCI or circuit with a GFCI? It isn’t uncommon for me work with my feet wet, in a crawl space, etc…
What about a light switch for a vent fan and light above shower where the switch is RIGHT NEXT to the sink, or right next to the toilet? I have a home built in 2019 and there is a few NEC codes that were not met, but inspectors still passed and the home builder said “we wont fix that because the inspector signed off, it doesn’t matter what code is. Final inspection is the only thing that truly matters.”. one is the light switch to one bedroom is 15′ away from the door due to a long hallway. The electrition thought the door was going at the end of the hallway and put the switch in the main room. Where the door was put 15′ down the hallways, so the room has a hallway going down it before you enter the main room. It’s pitch dark trying to feel for switches and walls to turn a light on in there.
I was hoping for an explanation of how GFI protections perform. My understanding from very long ago is that current is being monitored both in & out of loads. “Any imbalance is leakage”. Any leakage for whatever reason in excess of 0.005 amperes trips the protecting device. I’d welcome a clearer explanation.
Thank you again! man! you rock…I learn so much from you…I’m 62 and have been working with electrical for about 20 years, I’m not an electrician not by far, but I like to help people with their homes…I do however get confused with switches and traveler wires and such…but I’m still learning….wish I picked this up in my 20’s or even 30’s…I love it! thank you again for your great articles…Peace to You and Yours….
Long time subscriber but first comment. Our AHJ has already started requiring GFCI protection on ACs and it hasn’t worked out so well. Every mini split heat pump has an inverter compressor in it and many standard ACs and heat pumps also have inverter compressors now. The inverters create so much electrical noise on ground that it trips the GFCI breaker every single time the compressor tries to start. It’s such a huge problem they’ve started issuing variances for ACs and heat pumps
Dude, you broke that code down and that helped. I’m a Tinknocker and I’ve always stayed away from electricity due to fear. A Sparky told me educate yourself first safety and how it works then safety again. I never go further than my skill set but 22yrs in my trade helps with all. Keep up the good work Local 105 Tinners🤘🏼🇺🇸
Great article! Could you do a follow up on when to use GFCI on a circuit, either in the breaker box or first in a series? In the original wiring, both bathrooms and an outside receptacle are on the same circuit breaker. Would it be advantageous to simply put a GFCI circuit breaker in, rather than a GFCI receptacle at eash location?
I live in an older house, in recent months I have added lighting to the basement, attic, and several outdoor lights, all of it GFCI protected. I think it would be a good idea to label gfci protected lighting. I have been jolted by electricity a few times, not fun, I wonder if anyone here has been shocked by a GFCI protected circuit and tripped it. If so what did it feel like ?
It’s a balancing act and suspect it’s a good idea to have protection, but I’m not sure it’s practical. The truth is, new homes are less likely to be a problem, and old homes would require a lot of accommodation, and yet would have the greatest benefit from any protection with the least likelihood of implementation.
I want to know why some inspectors do not like when a chase nipple is connected to a rigid coupling, say to connect a trough and panel. I’ve been told the chase nipple does cut into the steel for a good mechanical ground. But they will allow reducing washers and a connector. in other types of installations, In my opinion that’s a lousy mechanical ground.