Change Summary

• Revision provides correlation with GFCI protection requirements in 210.8 by removing the existing limitations of a feeder to provide GFCI protection to only 15 and 20-ampere receptacle branch circuits. Feeders are now permitted to be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) installed in a readily accessible location which will also provide the necessary GFCI protection to any branch circuit in lieu of the provisions for such interrupters as specified in 210.8 (GFCI protection for personnel) and 590.6(A) (GFCI protection for personnel for temporary wiring installations).

Expert Analysis

For the 2020 NEC, 215.9 was revised by removing the limitation of feeder GFCI protection to just feeders that supply “15- and 20-ampere receptacle branch circuits.” This revision provides correlation with recent expansion of GFCI protection requirements at 210.8, particularly the expansion of GFCI requirement at 210.8(A) to include receptacle outlets rated 125-volt through 250-volt and the expansion of 210.8(B) that started in the 2017 NEC to include all 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground, 50 amperes or less, and all receptacles supplied by three-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground, 100 amperes or less.

This revision to remove the limitation of a feeder to provide GFCI protection to only feeders that supply “15- and 20-ampere receptacle branch circuits” will have an impact when a feeder supplies a branch circuit that supplies equipment that is hard-wired such as a boat hoists [555.9, which was 210.8(C)], dishwashers [422.5(A)(7), which was 210.8(D)], crawl space lighting outlets [210.8(C), which was 210.8(E)], and beginning in the 2020 NEC, outdoor outlets at dwelling unit, which will include 240-volt outdoor air-conditioning units [see Analysis change at 210.8(F)]. The former wording at 215.9 would not have allow a GFCI device protecting a feeder to protect these hard-wired loads.