Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
June 2015
The most often heard contractor phrase:
No one else makes me do that, so why do I have to ...
You’ve got to be kidding me … now I have to do WHAT?
– 5th Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, effective June 30, 2015 –
– 2011 National Electrical Code, effective June 30, 2015 –
Violation 1
: GFCI protection not installed for receptacle outlets at: indoor wet locations; locker rooms with
associated showering facilities; garages, service bays, and similar areas where electrical diagnostic
equipment, electrical hand tools, or portable lighting equipment are to be used
Code Section : 2011 NEC 210.8(B) Other Than Dwelling Units.
Comments : Contractor to install GFCI protection for receptacle outlets as required by the code
Violation 2 : AFCI protection not installed to protect branch circuits which have been extended or modified
Code Section : 2011 NEC 210.12(B) Branch Circuit Extensions or Modifications
Comments : Contractor to install AFCI protection as required by the code
Violation 3
: Tamper-resistant receptacles not installed where required in: guest rooms and guest suites; child
care facilities
Code Section : 2011 NEC 406.13 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Guest Rooms and Guest Suites.
2011 NEC406.14 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Child Care Facilities.
Comments : Contractor to replace nontamper-resistant receptacles with listed tamper-resistant receptacles as
required by the code
Violation 4
: Replacement receptacle outlets are not: tamper-resistant type; GFCI-protected; AFCI-protected;
weather-resistant type
Code Section : 2011 NEC 406.4(D) Replacements
Comments : Contractor to replace receptacle outlets which: are not tamper-resistant receptacles with listed
tamper-resistant receptacle; are not weather-resistant receptacles with listed weather-resistant
receptacles; do not have GFCI protection with GFCI protection; do not have AFCI protection with AFCI
protection … as required by the code
This newsletter addresses four basic code changes from the 2008 NEC to the 2011 NEC regarding receptacle outlets
and protection of various types:
: tamper-resistant receptacles
: weather-resistant receptacle
: GFCI protection
: AFCI protection
Violation 1
: GFCI protection not installed for receptacle outlets in: indoor wet locations; locker rooms with
associated showering facilities; garages, service bays, and similar areas where electrical diagnostic
equipment, electrical hand tools, or portable lighting equipment are to be used
The main changes in the 2011 NEC which affect GFCI protection are for “Other Than Dwelling Units” and address
GFCI protection in the locations shown in 210.8(B)(6), (7), and (8) shown below.
From the 2011 National Electrical Code (2008 to 2011 NEC 210.8 GFCI changes are shown here)
o 210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel.
 (B) Other Than Dwelling Units.
All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in (1) through
(8) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel:
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
© Jerry Peck 2015
Page 1 of 5
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
June 2015
The most often heard contractor phrase:
No one else makes me do that, so why do I have to ...
You’ve got to be kidding me … now I have to do WHAT?
□ (6) Indoor wet locations
□ (7) Locker rooms with associated showering facilities
□ (8) Garages, service bays, and similar areas where electrical diagnostic equipment, electrical hand tools,
or portable lighting equipment are to be used.
Violation 2
: AFCI protection not installed to protect branch circuits which have been extended or modified
One of the two main changes in the 2011 NEC which affect AFCI protection are branch circuits which have been
extended, modified, replaced, or altered – basically, if any work is done on a branch circuit in a area covered in
210.12(A)1, which covers almost all circuits in a dwelling unit which are not GFCI protected, then AFCI protection
needs to be installed (the other main change affects replacement receptacles on circuits in those areas - this is
covered in the section addressing replacements).
These changes basically now require that AFCI protection be installed to protect the entire branch circuit when any
covered branch circuit is replaced, repaired, altered, modified, or extended. Even replacing a single receptacle on a
branch circuit creates a similar AFCI protection requirement – this is covered in the part which addresses
replacements.
The installation of AFCI protection may be done by the installation of a listed combination-type AFCI breaker
located at the origin of the branch circuit (this is usually in the panelboard), or, a list outlet branch-circuit type AFCI
device may be installed in the first receptacle of the existing branch circuit
From the 2011 National Electrical Code (2008 to 2011 NEC 210.12 AFCI changes are shown here)
o 210.12 Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection.
 (B) Branch Circuit Extensions or Modifications.
In any of the areas specified in 210.12(A), where branch-circuit wiring is modified, replaced, or extended,
the branch circuit shall be protected by one of the following:
□ (1) A listed combination-type AFCI located at the origin of the branch circuit
□ (2) A listed outlet branch-circuit type AFCI located at the first receptacle outlet of the existing branch
circuit
Note 1: 210.12(A) includes: “Dwelling Units. All 120-volt, single phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying
outlets installed in dwelling unit family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms,
sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a listed arc-fault
circuit interrupter, combination-type, installed to provide protection of the branch circuit.”
The following are links to examples of outlet branch-circuit type AFCI devices:
Leviton
Eaton
Hubble
Violation 3
: Tamper-resistant receptacles not installed where required in: guest rooms and guest suites; child
care facilities
One of the two main changes in the 2011 NEC which affect tamper-resistant receptacles is for guest rooms/guest
suites and in child care facilities (the other main change affects replacement receptacles in areas which require
tamper-resistant receptacles - this is covered in the section addressing replacements).
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
© Jerry Peck 2015
Page 2 of 5
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
June 2015
The most often heard contractor phrase:
No one else makes me do that, so why do I have to ...
You’ve got to be kidding me … now I have to do WHAT?
Tamper-resistant receptacles are now required in nondwelling unit guest rooms and guest suites (motels, hotels,
bed and breakfast inns, and the like), and in child care facilities (daycare centers and the like).
From the 2011 National Electrical Code (2008 to 2011 NEC 210.12, .13, and .14 Tamper-resistant changes are
shown here)
o 406.13 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Guest Rooms and Guest Suites.
All nonlocking-type, 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles located in guest rooms and guest suites shall
be listed tamper-resistant receptacles.
o 406.14 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Child Care Facilities.
In all child care facilities, all nonlocking-type, 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles shall be listed
tamper-resistant receptacles.
While this is not part of Violation 3 – Tamper-resistant receptacles in ‘other than dwelling units’ … this is a good
time to point out that some exceptions have been added to tamper-resistant receptacle locations in ‘Dwelling
Units’. Previously, under the 2008 NEC, all areas specified in 210.522 required tamper-resistant receptacles.
(The exceptions are the main change to tamper-resistant receptacle locations in Dwelling Units.)
o 406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles in Dwelling Units.
In all areas specified in 210.52, all nonlocking-type 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles shall be listed
tamper-resistant receptacles.
 Exception: Receptacles in the following locations shall not be required to be tamper-resistant:
□ (1) Receptacles located more than 1.7 m (5 ½ ft) above the floor.
□ (2) Receptacles that are part of a luminaire or appliance.
□ (3) A single receptacle or duplex receptacle for two appliances located within a dedicated space for
each appliance that, in normal use, is not easily moved from one place to another and that is cord-andplug connected in accordance with 400.7(A)(6), (A)(7), or (A)(8).
□ (4) Nongrounding receptacles used for replacements as permitted in 406.4(D)(2)(a).
Note 2: 210.52 includes the following dwelling unit areas and receptacle outlets – In every: kitchen, family room,
dining room, living room, parlor, library, den, sunroom, bedroom, recreation room, or similar room or area, small
appliance receptacle outlets, countertops/countertop spaces, bathrooms, outdoor outlets, laundry areas,
basements, garages, hallways.
Violation 4
: Replacement receptacle outlets are not: tamper-resistant type; GFCI-protected; AFCI-protected;
weather-resistant type
These changes in the 2011 NEC affect replacement receptacles – especially the AFCI replacement requirements –
will likely create the greatest ‘Why do I have to do that … I’ve never had to do it before’ response from contractors
who resist in doing anything they have not had to do before, and contractors who resist in even having to meet the
minimum requirements of the code. This has never been required before in Florida, however, this has been in the
NEC since the 2011 edition, i.e., this has been in effect for the past 4 1/2 years in some other places – so this should
not be ‘something new that they never heard of before’.
Some who are reading this may first think ‘These receptacle replacements are usually made without permits by
homeowners going to Big Box stores, thus I will not have to address this.’ However … most permitted projects for
remodeling, alteration, renovation, additions, etc., will include many “receptacle replacements” and will therefore
be part of what you should be looking at during plan reviews and during inspections. These “replacement”
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
© Jerry Peck 2015
Page 3 of 5
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
June 2015
The most often heard contractor phrase:
No one else makes me do that, so why do I have to ...
You’ve got to be kidding me … now I have to do WHAT?
requirements also match up with the new requirements for AFCI protection for modified, altered, replaced,
extended branch circuits.
Additionally, when a receptacle is replaced in a location which requires GFCI protection, the replacement
receptacle is required to be GFCI protected. This is not a recent changes, it is been a requirement for many NEC
editions and is still a requirement.
There is also a new requirement for replacement receptacles to be listed tamper-resistant receptacles when the
receptacle replaced is located in an area which requires receptacles to be tamper-resistant.
Another new requirement for replacement receptacles is for listed weather-resistant receptacles when receptacles
which are replaced are located in an area which requires receptacles to be weather-resistant.
From the 2011 National Electrical Code (2008 to 2011 NEC 406.4(D) Replacements changes are shown here)
o 406.4 General Installation Requirements.
 (D) Replacements. Replacement of receptacles shall comply with 406.4(D)(1), (D)(2), and (D)(3) as
applicable.
In any of the areas specified in 210.12(A), where branch-circuit wiring is modified, replaced, or extended,
the branch circuit shall be protected by one of the following:
□ (3) Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected receptacles shall be
provided where replacements are made at receptacle outlets that are required to be so protected
elsewhere in this Code.
□ (4) Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection.
Where a receptacle outlet is supplied by a branch circuit that requires arc-fault circuit interrupter
protection as specified elsewhere in this Code, a replacement receptacle at this outlet shall be one of
the following:
 (1) A listed outlet branch circuit type arc-fault circuit interrupter receptacle
 (2) A receptacle protected by a listed outlet branch circuit type arc-fault circuit interrupter type
receptacle
 (3) A receptacle protected by a listed combination type arc-fault circuit interrupter type circuit
breaker
 This requirement becomes effective January 1, 2014.
□ (5) Tamper-Resistant Receptacles.
 Listed tamper-resistant receptacles shall be provided where replacements are made at receptacle
outlets that are required to be tamper-resistant elsewhere in this Code.
□ (6) Weather-Resistant Receptacles.
 Weather-resistant receptacles shall be provided where replacements are made at receptacle outlets
that are required to be so protected elsewhere in this Code.
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Please, if you have any items, issues or tips you would like to share with other building officials / inspectors / plan
reviewers, send the items, issues or tips to jerry@jerrypeck.com for inclusion in future newsletters.
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
© Jerry Peck 2015
Page 4 of 5
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
June 2015
The most often heard contractor phrase:
No one else makes me do that, so why do I have to ...
You’ve got to be kidding me … now I have to do WHAT?
All contributors will be acknowledged and given credit for their contributions … please help others by sharing the
items, issues, and tips you have found in the field or during plan reviews.
I look forward to all contributions and ideas.
Respectfully submitted,
Jerry Peck
Editor/Publisher
Inspectors’ Field Comments Newsletter©
jerry@jerrypeck.com
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