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New GFCI Requirements

F

Fred Bloggs

Jan 1, 1970
0
From Conformity:

New requirements governing the design of ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCIs) are soon scheduled to come into effect.

The new requirements, which are part of the recently revised harmonized
standard, UL 943, Safety Standard for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs), are intended to increase consumer safety and reduce the risk of
household electrocutions.

Specifically,

1) the revised standard includes an “end-of-life” provision which
requires a non-functioning GFCI to either render itself incapable of
delivering power, or to indicate by visual or audible means that it must
be replaced.

2) In addition, GFCIs must now be designed to deny power to the
receptacle face if the device has been miswired during installation.

The new requirements are scheduled to become effective as of July 28,
2006, after which manufacturers must cease production of older versions
and introduce GFCIs designed to meet the new requirements.
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
From Conformity:

New requirements governing the design of ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCIs) are soon scheduled to come into effect.

The new requirements, which are part of the recently revised harmonized
standard, UL 943, Safety Standard for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs), are intended to increase consumer safety and reduce the risk of
household electrocutions.

Specifically,

1) the revised standard includes an “end-of-life” provision which
requires a non-functioning GFCI to either render itself incapable of
delivering power, or to indicate by visual or audible means that it must
be replaced.

2) In addition, GFCIs must now be designed to deny power to the
receptacle face if the device has been miswired during installation.

The new requirements are scheduled to become effective as of July 28,
2006, after which manufacturers must cease production of older versions
and introduce GFCIs designed to meet the new requirements.

You forgot that you have to say, "Pretty please", before you plug into
it ;-)

...Jim Thompson
 
P

Phil Hobbs

Jan 1, 1970
0
Fred said:
From Conformity:

New requirements governing the design of ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCIs) are soon scheduled to come into effect.

The new requirements, which are part of the recently revised harmonized
standard, UL 943, Safety Standard for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs), are intended to increase consumer safety and reduce the risk of
household electrocutions.

Specifically,

1) the revised standard includes an “end-of-life” provision which
requires a non-functioning GFCI to either render itself incapable of
delivering power, or to indicate by visual or audible means that it must
be replaced.

2) In addition, GFCIs must now be designed to deny power to the
receptacle face if the device has been miswired during installation.

The new requirements are scheduled to become effective as of July 28,
2006, after which manufacturers must cease production of older versions
and introduce GFCIs designed to meet the new requirements.

Sounds like a useful improvement--we all know from Three Mile Island
that safety features that aren't tested realistically are worse than
useless. (Well, useless from our point of view, anyway--they do provide
cover for the derrieres of the guilty if anything goes wrong.)

As long as the new ones don't cost $100, so that nobody buys them.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs
 
E

ehsjr

Jan 1, 1970
0
Fred said:
From Conformity:

New requirements governing the design of ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCIs) are soon scheduled to come into effect.

The new requirements, which are part of the recently revised harmonized
standard, UL 943, Safety Standard for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs), are intended to increase consumer safety and reduce the risk of
household electrocutions.

Specifically,

1) the revised standard includes an “end-of-life” provision which
requires a non-functioning GFCI to either render itself incapable of
delivering power, or to indicate by visual or audible means that it must
be replaced.

2) In addition, GFCIs must now be designed to deny power to the
receptacle face if the device has been miswired during installation.

The new requirements are scheduled to become effective as of July 28,
2006, after which manufacturers must cease production of older versions
and introduce GFCIs designed to meet the new requirements.

Thanks! Valuable post. (As always)
Ed
 
M

Mark

Jan 1, 1970
0
might be time to stock up on the old ones...

Mark
 
M

Michael

Jan 1, 1970
0
Phil said:
Sounds like a useful improvement--we all know from Three Mile Island
that safety features that aren't tested realistically are worse than
useless. (Well, useless from our point of view, anyway--they do provide
cover for the derrieres of the guilty if anything goes wrong.)

As long as the new ones don't cost $100, so that nobody buys them.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs




Oh *sure* ..... I can hear how that would work:
"Nuh-no, Mr. Contractor. We prefer the old, much less expensive unit."

When the old-spec. parts become unavailable, the cost of new production ones
will get passed right along to Mom & Pop. Remember how dear GFCI's were when
they were new technology?
 
P

Phil Hobbs

Jan 1, 1970
0
Michael said:
Oh *sure* ..... I can hear how that would work:
"Nuh-no, Mr. Contractor. We prefer the old, much less expensive unit."

When the old-spec. parts become unavailable, the cost of new production ones
will get passed right along to Mom & Pop. Remember how dear GFCI's were when
they were new technology?
Round my neck of the woods, new construction has to have GFCI breakers,
so the new outlets are going to be mainly for retrofitting, I would
expect.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs
 
J

John Larkin

Jan 1, 1970
0
From Conformity:

New requirements governing the design of ground fault circuit
interrupters (GFCIs) are soon scheduled to come into effect.

The new requirements, which are part of the recently revised harmonized
standard, UL 943, Safety Standard for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs), are intended to increase consumer safety and reduce the risk of
household electrocutions.

Specifically,

1) the revised standard includes an “end-of-life” provision which
requires a non-functioning GFCI to either render itself incapable of
delivering power, or to indicate by visual or audible means that it must
be replaced.

2) In addition, GFCIs must now be designed to deny power to the
receptacle face if the device has been miswired during installation.

The new requirements are scheduled to become effective as of July 28,
2006, after which manufacturers must cease production of older versions
and introduce GFCIs designed to meet the new requirements.

I wonder how they handle the case of the final contact welding closed,
or something like that. Some sort of mechanical redundancy, with
something fusable in the loop?

John
 
G

Genome

Jan 1, 1970
0
John Larkin said:
I wonder how they handle the case of the final contact welding closed,
or something like that. Some sort of mechanical redundancy, with
something fusable in the loop?

John

Are you suggesting a possible get out clause for God Botherers?

DNA
 
K

Ken Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
Oh *sure* ..... I can hear how that would work:
"Nuh-no, Mr. Contractor. We prefer the old, much less expensive unit."

When the old-spec. parts become unavailable, the cost of new production ones
will get passed right along to Mom & Pop. Remember how dear GFCI's were when
they were new technology?[/QUOTE]

A high priced GFI caused many houses to have one GFI shared between the
two bathrooms and perhaps the outside outlet. This is ok until the GFI
starts tripping every few seconds.

Today each outlet has its own because the cost of the extra wiring isn't
worth it.
 
R

Rich Grise, PLainclothes Hippie

Jan 1, 1970
0
Are you suggesting a possible get out clause for God Botherers?


Dewd! Can I have a hit of whatever it is you're taking, before you use it
all up?

Thansk!
Rich

--
Elect Me President in 2008! I will:
A. Fire the IRS, and abolish the income tax
B. Legalize drugs
C. Stand down all military actions by the US that don't involve actual
military aggression against US territory
D. Declare World Peace I.
 
R

Rich The Philosophizer

Jan 1, 1970
0
Are you suggesting a possible get out clause for God Botherers?

Oh, the God Botherers are free to go any time they want, and Spirit has
volunteered to escort them to their right place, nonexistence.
 
K

Keith

Jan 1, 1970
0
Oh *sure* ..... I can hear how that would work:
"Nuh-no, Mr. Contractor. We prefer the old, much less expensive unit."

When the old-spec. parts become unavailable, the cost of new production ones
will get passed right along to Mom & Pop. Remember how dear GFCI's were when
they were new technology?

A high priced GFI caused many houses to have one GFI shared between the
two bathrooms and perhaps the outside outlet. This is ok until the GFI
starts tripping every few seconds.[/QUOTE]

You've been to my house? It's only happened a couple of times, but
resetting the GFCI (outside, on the front porch) isn't much fun
when one is upstairs doing one's thing in the bathroom. It wasn't
too much fun for me either.
Today each outlet has its own because the cost of the extra wiring isn't
worth it.

With the reset (and test) on the GFCI.
 
J

John Larkin

Jan 1, 1970
0
A high priced GFI caused many houses to have one GFI shared between the
two bathrooms and perhaps the outside outlet. This is ok until the GFI
starts tripping every few seconds.

You've been to my house? It's only happened a couple of times, but
resetting the GFCI (outside, on the front porch) isn't much fun
when one is upstairs doing one's thing in the bathroom. It wasn't
too much fun for me either.
Today each outlet has its own because the cost of the extra wiring isn't
worth it.

With the reset (and test) on the GFCI.[/QUOTE]

One obvious feature would be a periodic trip in the event that the
devices aren't tested regularly. Who should I write to?

John
 
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