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Code Quiz

Sep 4, 2008 4:14 PM, By Steven Owen

Q. According to the 2008 National Electrical Code, electric drinking fountains installed in public buildings, such as schools, must meet which of the following requirements:

Offer GFCI protection for personnel — Class A, 5mA (nominal) trip
Can't be supplied with a hermetic compressor
Offer GFCI protection only if it is located within 6 feet of a 15A or 20A, 125V single-phase receptacle outlet
Offer GFPE protection — Class C, 30mA trip
none of the above

Answer: A

As per 422.1 and 422.52, ground-fault protection for personnel is required for electric drinking fountains. This requirement is not limited to cord-and-plug connected appliances, but also applies to direct-wired electric drinking fountains. It's important to note that phase and voltage are not specifically addressed in this new requirement. In other words, this rule does not specifically indicate an applied voltage of 125V, single-phase.

Owen is the owner and president of National Code Seminars and the holder of master electrician certifications in 46 states. He can be reached at necexpert@aol.com.