Electrical question again
 

Running a 20 amp circuit for a dishwasher in my guest house. Asking if it should be a GFCI breaker. Seems the code says a GFCI outlet but the existing outlet is switched for a disposal. Any opinions ?

Not sure of code, but in my cabin I put gfci-afci breakers in for ALL circuits. Figured cheapish insurance.

I don't know what the code is in CA, but my dishwasher and disposal are not on GFCI. What the electrician did in my house is put in a double pole breaker, and ran 12-3 to the outlet under the sink. So the two sockets are two different 120v circuits, one for the dishwasher and one for the disposal, and if one trips it shuts down both.
There's 6 separate circuits in my kitchen. Got to love codes. Stove, Fridge, Dishwasher, Disposal, and two for other outlets, even though there's only two outlets on the back wall and two on the island.

I will tell you Arc fault breakers hate power tools. Used to use a plug in drill and saw, just about every time I'd use them, especially the saw, it would trip the arc fault.

Take the dishwasher out.
Clean out all the stuff under there
Attach a cord to the dishwasher
Buy two gfi receptacles and a two gang raised cover
You may need a four square/single gang box to transition
Pigtail and install.
This comes from dead people not hitting the reset button and having the wife toggle the switch

No, not if the outlet is behind the dish washer. Jut think if it hard wired, where's the GFI?

I was going to put in a GFCI breaker but I’m not sure if it’s required.

To be sure you need to check with your local AHJ.

In NY state electrical codes, a GFCI is required anywhere there is water. Bathrooms, kitchen, disposals, dishwashers, etc. I installed GFCI breakers on all of the above. Test them a couple times a year.

NEC says GFCI for all kitchen, laundry, bath and garage/outdoor circuits. This goes back at least 2 editions which come out every 3 years. Now it's an AFCI breaker AND the GFCI for many of these locations as well as the rest of the house receptacles.

Used to be that if the receptacle was inaccessible behind the fridge, it didn't have to be GFCI. No longer an exception.

Thanks Zeke. Would a GFCI breaker in the panel for a dedicated dishwasher circuit suffice?

GFI outlet is not that much more expensive than a regular outlet. Why take the risk of not using one. It might be different if you were looking for 25 outlets in rooms with no water but it just makes sense to use a gfi.

Yes (expensive), that's what we do not to get it to pass code. Its a ***** having a GFI in back of dish washer. That's where we normally have plug installed so its out of the way and not crowd up the space under the sink. If the GFI needs to be reset, the sidh washer has to be pulled just to get it it. Many of the Bosch model now has a very short elec. cable that will not allow it to be snake through the cabinet to be plugged under the sink.

you could install one GFCI outlet above the counter then feed the outlet for the dishwasher off that one. that way you don't have to pull the dishwasher out.
but, if the dishwasher trips the outlet, why did it trip it so it may just be a mute point.
I would just install the GFI outlet behind the dishwasher.

Use a gfi breaker for the circuit. The outlet itself does not have to be a gfci per se. All kitchen, bath, outdoor, garage circuits, require a gfci.

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I’d rather spend the 50 bucks for a GFCI breaker then tear open the drywall and install a two gang box. Right now the upper portion of the outlet controls the disposal ant the lower portion the dishwasher. Thanks everyone for the input!

Please deenergize the panel and verify it is SAFE to do so before installing the GFCI C/B or wear your 40 Cal/cm2 suit when doing the install.

Remember, only God and Electricians can make light and that ARC Flash is hotter than the sun.

If you NOT nervous about it, don't do it.

I installed GFI outlets over the kitchen countertop at mom's winter condo.
What I did not check..and should have..was if other circuits would be affected.

It turns out the fridge was hooked up downstream to an unused GFI outlet in a very far corner.

Everything worked just fine for the many months she was there.
Something tripped that unused breaker while she was away.
The fridge stopped running and had to be replaced.

Probably the maid, who also managed to flood the place with a running+clogged toilet while cleaning.
(how the heck does that ever happen?)
It could also have been the weekly house-checker, who did not notice the 2 ft black puddle in the middle of the kitchen.
(that fridge was haz-mat super fund level when we arrived)
It could also have been a faulty GFI switch with a power outage.
Who knows.

Absolutely! I am always nervous, just changing out a switch or outlet has me on guard!

Please be careful, there may be two circuits in the box with a common neutral.
If that is the case you need a two pole breaker.
My suggestion was to mount a four square over the existing box, some have a single gang cut out in the back.

Put here code requires DW to have its own dedicated circuit so if you can don't piggy back off another plug even though 75 of older homes are wired that way without any real issues.