Home Improvement Today?

Only the outlet upstream needs to be GFCI, as long as this one is wired on the "Load" side of the GFCI. GFCIs do not like weather. Always try to keep them inside.

Even in my garage, I have to replace the GFCIs once in a while.

 

Why not wire the GFCI upstream and put a regular outlet outside?

 

I put the GFCI downstream of my freezers for example. Just saying.

 

these are cleaner looking

 

That's the ones I linked above but for a flat surface as opposed to lap siding.

 

By today's code, refrigerators and freezers need to be the only device on the circuit.

 

Smart.

Lots of folks with freezers in mudrooms, garages, etc. Never had one on a dedicated circuit.

 

With multiple devices on a circuit, if the circuit was to get tripped, you might not know it for a while - until you open a warm fridge....

 

Interesting. I have never heard of a fridge/freezer requiring a dedicated circuit.

 

Basement floor question

I'm finally getting around to finishing my basement. I wired it many years ago, and hung (leftover) drywall many years ago as well. Never taped or mudded. Apparently, life got in the way of those plans.

I'm starting to tape/mud, and have a couple of walls to build, so this is going to take a while. I will be doing a section at a time.

However, I'm thinking about starting to put in the flooring, and haven't decided what to use.

Carpet - no
Hardwood - would have to be floating, concerned about possible water damage. Have never had water in the basement, but, it is a basement.
Tile - seriously considering, not looking forward to the cost.

Whatever I do for the floor, will be done in sections as well.

I know, it will take longer doing it like this, but there is a lot of stuff down there that needs to be moved around.

Anyway, thoughts/suggestions on flooring material?

 

Happened to me before luckily i only had drinks in it and the freezer stuff was still froze. Only noticed it when i went to get more drinks out of the garage fridge

 

You could install Dricore panels first then wood

 

Vinyl will be cheaper then tile but either would be fine. Just make sure you protect it with Builders Board if your going to do it in sections. Tile won't be as much of a concern but vinyl can and will scratch during the rest of the build process.

 

Me either. I even looked up the code 210.52(B)

It's written in a way that's open to interpretation, but my interpretation would be a fridge can be on a shared 20A circuit or a dedicated 15A circuit.
https://www.electricallicenserenewa...ation-Courses/NEC-Content.php?sectionID=820.0

In my house, built in 2019, the fridge is on the same circuit as the counter top plugs. My fridge, also 2019 vintage, pulls a max of 3.5A so having it on its own circuit IMO is overkill. Maybe in older houses with older refrigerators blowing circuit breakers is a problem.

 

I looked through all adendums to NFPA 70(NEC) for the last 8 years and can't find it. None of the electricians I work with run dedicated circuits for a fridge. I didn't when I passed my rough electric for my kitchen remodel last year. But I also didn't put the dishwasher on a GFCI circuit so what the fuck do I know. lol

 

You know you should have put the dishwasher on a GFCI Now the code nannies are going to be all over you warning about death from electrocution, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria! All I know about GFCI's are they are a pain in the ass every time I get my electric power washer out. The power washer has its own GFCI built into the plug, but for some reason it choses to trip the GFCI the idiot builder put in the basement. My solution is to plug the washer into an extension cord plugged into a non-GFCI protected outlet.

 

Man, my kitchen wiring has got all yalls beat. Fridge and counter receps on one circuit. Dishwasher and washing machine plus a few outlets on another, oh and microwave shares its circuit with 9 outlets and a few ceiling lights. Cant run a vacuum and microwave your burrito at the same time.

All that changes here soon, been running the numbers on a kitchen remodel. Fridge, microwave and dishwasher will all get dedicated lines. Probably not a GFI though. Had bad luck with those and my sump pump, so no motor loads on a GFI is fine with me.

 

I would do your drywall mudding first then flooring.

Consider doing radiant floor heating under tile for your basement flooring?

 

Tape a 2’x2’ piece of plastic sheeting tight to the floor so no air can escape. Wait a couple weeks and see if any moisture or condensation appears under it. That will give you a good idea of what is a definite no for flooring.