by Todd Thuss
Updated 9/25
Summary
- Electrical code is constantly changing, and even new homes lack the very latest electrical safety components and practices
- You are not required to upgrade the home to meet new requirements unless you’re modifying the home (e.g. additions or remodeling) or replacing a receptacle.
- Updating parts of the electrical system can improve safety and possibly reduce your homeowner’s insurance premium
The National Electrical Code (NEC) spells out how a home’s electrical system must be constructed, and it’s this code that electrical inspectors inspect “to”. The NEC is revised every three years, but local jurisdictions can choose which code cycle to enforce and whether to amend or selectively enforce the code. Your home was constructed using the code in place at that time, but newer practices exist that improve upon electrical safety. This article briefly discusses some of those and is based on the 2023 revision of the NEC. As of the time of writing this article, many jurisdictions in our area have not adopted the 2023 code yet, but they will eventually.
Kitchen Islands and Peninsulas
Receptacles in islands or peninsulas, not installed, must have provisions for the addition of a receptacle in the future.
Three options are available for where island and peninsula receptacles can be installed:
1. On or above countertop or work surfaces, but no more than 20 inches above.
2. In a countertop using a receptacle outlet assembly listed for use in countertops. Surface-mounted receptacles are available for this purpose.
3. In a work surface using a receptacle outlet assembly listed for use in work surfaces or listed for use in countertops.
These rules mean that receptacles are no longer permitted below the work surface. They are still commonly placed on the sides of islands, below the countertop, but this is improper because children can pull hot appliances off the surface.
GFCI
Ground Fault Circuit Interruption (GFCI) devices protect against electrocution and were first required in 1971. and interrupt the flow of electricity if they sense an imbalance in the current flow in and out of the device (indicating that someone could be getting shocked). These are available in the familiar push-button receptacle format as well as circuit breakers. GFCI protection can even be built into certain devices and systems, such as radiant floor heating controllers.
GFCIs were originally required in just outdoor areas, but the list of required locations has slowly expanded over the years to include pretty much everywhere in a home. The latest list includes all receptacles in:
- Kitchen
- range receptacle
- refrigerator receptacle
- disposal receptacle
- microwave receptacle
- Bathrooms
- Garages and Work Areas
- Outdoors
- Crawlspaces and Basements, and crawlspace lighting circuits (outlets).
- Areas with sinks and permanent provisions for food or beverage prep
- Within 6ft of a sink, bathtub, or shower stall
- Laundries
- Indoor damp and wet locations
- Sump pumps
- Tankless water heaters
- All cord-and-plug connected appliances in kitchens
- Dishwashers
- Electric ranges
- Wall-mounted ovens
- Microwave ovens
- Counter-mounted cooking units
- Clothes dryers
- Electric Vehicle (EV) charging equipment *
Integra Inspection Services home inspections only report as a defect GFCI protection that’s missing from “legacy” locations that are historically and particularly prone to electrocution, such as the exterior, bathrooms, and wet locations. We do make recommendations for GFCI protection in all required locations. Although you are not required to add GFCI protection to areas not required at the time of the home’s construction (unless remodeling or adding/replacing receptacles), adding protection to all the above areas increases your safety against electrocution.
* All receptacles supplying power for EV charging are required to have GFCI protection. Hardwired units do not require protection unless specified by the manufacturer. GFCI protection is required for hardwired units installed outdoors that are rated 50 amps or less.
- Bathrooms
- Garages
- Exterior
- Family and living rooms
- Dining rooms
- Family rooms
- Parlors
- Dens
- Bedrooms
- Sunrooms
- Libraries and dens
- Office hallways
- Closets
- Recreation rooms
- Kitchens
AFCI protection is typically provided at the breaker panel through the use of AFCI breakers. Although you are not required to add AFCI protection to areas not required at the time of the home’s construction (unless remodeling or adding/replacing receptacles), adding protection increases your safety against electrical fire and may reduce your homeowner’s insurance premium. An electrician can typically replace the required breakers with AFCI types. However, older electrical panel boards may not support the use of new AFCI breakers and a panelboard replacement might be necessary.
Also known as combination AFCI/GFCI breakers, these are required to protect kitchens, dishwashers, clothes washers, and laundry areas. These protect against both electrocution and fire.
Tamper-Resistant Receptacles
Tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles help protect children from electrical shock by preventing them from sticking things in the receptacle holes. All receptacles in the home, garage, and outbuildings must now be tamper-resistant. A TRR is a type of electrical outlet that requires double-prong entry in order for a plug to enter. These devices were designed to prevent the accidental insertion of hairpins, keys, knives, paper clips, nails, screws, and other small objects, which can pose an electrical shock hazard. Home inspectors and homeowners can identify these outlets by looking for the letters “TR” or the words “tamper-resistant” imprinted on the receptacle’s surface, which means that they’re tamper-resistant and have been tested to sustain periods of extended use and some forms of physical damage. TRRs are required for all receptacles below 5 1/2 feet above the floor. Exceptions exist for receptacles within a dedicated space for an appliance that, in normal use, isn’t easily moved from one place to another or is part of a luminaire or appliance.
Surge Protection
All dwelling unit services must now be protected with surge protection. Surge protection protects the electrical system against overvoltage conditions, such as from a lightning strike. Surge protection helps reduce damage to electrical components and devices and subsequent damage to the structure from fire. You are not required to add surge protection unless you’re required to replace the electrical panel during the course of a home remodel. However, many people voluntarily choose to have surge protection added. It’s not particularly expensive and can pay for itself many times over in the event of a lightning strike or other damage to the power grid.
Emergency Disconnect
A means of disconnecting electric from the home must be available in a readily accessible location outside the home. As with the other items above, you are not required to implement this unless you’re required to replace major electrical components, such as the service panel, during the course of a home remodel.
Grounding
This topic is not “new” in the sense of the 2023 code. The electrical system has a connection to the utility through the soil. This the called the earth ground and only carries electricity when something goes wrong (an electrical fault) or in the case of a lightning strike. The connection is made from the home to the earth through a grounding electrode. The utility has its own grounding electrode at the pole or transformer.
The grounding electrode most people are familiar with is a ground rod, but it can also be a Ufer ground. A Ufer ground is metal embedded into the home’s foundation, usually rebar. The electrical path from the grounded electrode to the utilities must be 25 ohms or less (a measure of electrical resistance). This is diffcult to achieve in typical soils unless at least two ground rods are used.This requirement dates back to the 1918 code!
Up until somewhat recently, electrical code inspectors in our area permitted one ground rod despite the possibility of not meeting code. If your home is more than a few years old there’s a good chance you have one ground rod, and this would typically be considered insufficent under today’s enforcement regime. New homes generally have Ufer grounds and are not required to have ground rods.
If you have one ground rod, adding a second (8′ deep and at least 6 feet from the other) will improve grounding and safety. As with other items in this list, you are not required to do this unless you’re performing extensive remodeling.
Note that Outbuildings (detached garages, barns) with power are now required to have a grounded electrode. If your outbuilding lacks one, this definitely should be installed, unless the outbuilding is not supplied with a feeder or has only one branch circuit. Consult an electrician for advice.
So, what could happen with an insufficient ground? In rare situations a circuit breaker may not trip during a fault or short, which could result in shock or fire. In the case of a lightning strike, damage to the home could potentially be more severe.
