GFCI for dishwashers, ranges, dryers and other appliances
The circuit or outlet supplying 12 types of appliances, including dishwashers, ranges, wall ovens, cooktops, dryers, microwaves and sump pumps, needs GFCI protection when the appliance is rated 150 V or less to ground and 60 A or less, hardwired or plugged in.
What the code requires
GFCI protection is required on the branch circuit or outlet supplying certain appliances rated 150 V or less to ground and 60 A or less, single- or 3-phase. Because the protection goes on the branch circuit or outlet, it applies whether the appliance is hardwired or cord-and-plug connected, and GFCI protection built into the appliance or its cord does not take its place.
Household items on the list are dishwashers, electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units such as cooktops, clothes dryers, microwave ovens and sump pumps. The list also covers drinking water coolers and bottle fill stations, vending machines, high-pressure spray washers, tire inflation machines and automotive vacuum machines.
On the job
- A new range or dryer circuit, including a 240 V hardwired one, needs GFCI protection, which typically means a 2-pole GFCI breaker.
- Dishwasher circuits need GFCI protection whether the dishwasher is cord-connected or hardwired.
- A GFCI built into an appliance or its cord does not satisfy the rule. The protection must be in the branch circuit or at the outlet.
- Proposed TIA 1749, which would have exempted electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units and microwave ovens in dedicated spaces, was not issued, so the 2023 text has no exceptions to this rule.
What changed in 2023
Clothes dryers, electric ranges, microwave ovens, wall-mounted ovens and counter-mounted cooking units were added in 2023, the appliance list now appears in 210.8(D) itself instead of pointing to 422.5, and the 2020 option of relying on GFCI protection built into the appliance, its plug or its cord was dropped.
In California
For new single-family homes, the 2025 California Electrical Code (422.3) separately requires dedicated, identified circuits for electric cooktops and electric clothes dryers under Energy Code 150.0(u) and (v). Those readiness circuits are a separate requirement from GFCI protection.
Related sections
- NEC 422.5: GFCI protection for appliances
- NEC 210.8(A): GFCI protection in homes
- NEC 422.16: Cords for dishwashers, disposals and range hoods
- NEC 422.3: California: electric-ready water heater, cooktop, dryer
Where this comes from
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