Originally Posted by
Tim Moreira
Hi gang,
Laundry sink about two feet away from washing machine outlet. It is not GFCI protected. I would think it should be due to the proximity of the sink.
Agreed?
As Jerry stated, the 2008 NEC now covers this
without exceptions...- - -
(7) Laundry, utility, and wet bar sinks — where the receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the sink.
However (and I'll ask Jerry to check me on this) prior to 2008 (2005?) the 6ft rule was only for
wet bar sinks (and then earlier than that, for kitchen sinks). I don't believe there was a rule prior to 2008 that actually covered laundries or laundry sinks. The upshot, as far as I can determine, is that in an existing home the washer receptacle (or any other receptacle) within 6ft of a laundry sink was not required by the NEC to be a GFCI, unless the room also happens to be a bathroom.
So...definitely a good idea to recommend a GFCI as an inexpensive
saftey upgrade but it's probably not a "mandatory" repair you could defend with code.