Outlet replacement inside garage

[pete6032]

Simple question - need to replace an old outlet in my garage. Looks like the new outlet must be GFCI. Does the new outlet also need to be outdoor rated?

 

[Greenman]

Simple question - need to replace an old outlet in my garage. Looks like the new outlet must be GFCI. Does the new outlet also need to be outdoor rated?

I've never heard of an outdoor rated outlet, there are however outdoor rated enclosures and covers. That said, a standard GFCI is fine in a garage.

 

[pete6032]

I've never heard of an outdoor rated outlet, there are however outdoor rated enclosures and covers. That said, a standard GFCI is fine in a garage.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-20-Amp-125-Volt-Duplex-Self-Test-Tamper-Resistant-Weather-Resistant-GFCI-Outlet-White-R92-GFWT2-0KW/205997283

Weather resistant I guess.

 

[Greenman]

I don't get it. Rain is the only one that really matters.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Looks like?

You might want to check to see if there is already a GFCI outlet installed on the same circuit. If there is and this garage outlet is downstream from it (as it normally would be) then it would not need to be GFCI. At least that is my understanding.

 

[WilliamM2]

That's correct. If wired properly all downstream outlets should be protected.
If there isn't a GFCI there already, you should replace the first outlet on the circuit with a GFCI. The rest can then be standard.

Of course if you are just replacing an outlet, there usually isn't a code requirement that you use GFCI on an existing circuit.

 

[Paperdoc]

The answer depends entirely on the electrical code in force where YOU live. It may NOT require what is needed in other places.

That said, SOME requirements are common in many places. Where I live (Ontario, Canada) this is what was required when I wired up a new garage two years ago.
1. Any EXTERIOR outlet MUST be in a weatherproof mounting box fitted with a While-in-Use cover. It also MUST be protected by a GFCI device. The actual outlet device (whether GFCI or not) MUST be weather-resistant.
2. Outlets in the INTERIOR of the garage do NOT need to be GFCI-protected.

With these in mind, this is what I did. I mounted exterior outlets on two sides of my garage. One was simply facing the back yard and to be used for yard stuff like my electric lawn mower. For this I bought and installed in the proper housing a weather-resistant GFCI unit.

The other outlet on the back of the garage is intended mainly to plug in car block heaters for cold winter weather. These I set up with an interior-mounted programmable timer. That timer also has manual over-ride features if I choose to set those outlets always on or always off. Local code ALSO requires that on the INSIDE of the garage there be an outlet positioned close to where the front of a parked car will be so that it, too, can have its block heater plugged in. And of course I wanted that outlet also to be on the timer. So I mounted a NON-weatherproof GFCI in the INTERIOR position fed by the timer. Then the output of that unit which protects any downstream outlets was fed over to the exterior outlet. This has two weather-resistant "normal" outlet fixtures (four sockets in total) in a proper mounting box. With this arrangement, all those outlets are under timer control AND all are protected by the GFCI unit. That unit is interior so it is NOT weather-resistant. But the exterior outlet units ARE since they are outside in their protective box.

There are several interior outlets in the garage along walls, at the workbench and one in the rafters for the garage door opener. NONE of these are GFCI since that is not required for interior outlets.

 

[Greenman]

I got curious and went looking for an explanation of what makes a device weather resistant. Can't find one.

Found it: These specific outlets are made of materials for outdoor weather like moisture and water, such as nylon and metal components that are corrosion resistant. They also are protective of other weather conditions like UV light, extreme cold, and affects of breakage/aging.

 

[pete6032]

I got curious and went looking for an explanation of what makes a device weather resistant. Can't find one.

Found it: These specific outlets are made of materials for outdoor weather like moisture and water, such as nylon and metal components that are corrosion resistant. They also are protective of other weather conditions like UV light, extreme cold, and affects of breakage/aging.

It can be 95 degrees here in the summer or 0 degrees in the winter. I'm usually not hanging out in the garage using the outlets when its that hot or cold though.

My state has adopted the 2023 National Electric Code, which requires GFCI outlets in garages. The current outlet is probably 50+ years old. I doubt anyone has ever replaced it.

 

[Paperdoc]

OP, glad you found the requirements where you live. I see they are not the same as I have here. Where you are, ALL outlets inside and outside a Garage must be GFCI, and a certain minimum number (but not all) of these in the garage must be 20 Amp capacity.

Regarding that last item, there must be one GFCI-protected 20 Amp outlet at EACH vehicle parking bay, although more than one outlet of this type can be on the SAME circuit. Other additional outlets can be 15 Amp. So, IF the outlet you are replacing is one that is close to the vehicle space it needs to be rated for 20 Amps. What already is there may NOT be - many in older installations were 15 A. Technically that would mean replacing the cable from breaker panel to outlet box with 12 gauge wiring AND replacing the breaker feeding that circuit. I do NOT know whether your area regulations would REQUIRE that total upgrading of the circuit, or whether they would exempt that circuit when you are merely replacing the outlet fixture with a new one and using a GFCI for that.

In checking your code requirements I did not see any spec on whether or not that GFCI installed INSIDE the garage needs to be weather-resistant. I expect not since it is not subject to exterior weather conditions.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The outlet itself is going to be a normal outlet but there are faceplates that are weatherproof. They add a gasket and some even have a cover that covers it when in use. I wouldn't bother to weather proof the inside once as long as it's not being used as a wash bay. GFCI is a good idea as the odds of plugging an extension to use something outside is high, (ex: a pressure washer) so good to have protection.

 

[Paperdoc]

Where I live in Ontario Canada, the requirements for exterior outlets (on a garage or not) regarding weather are two-fold. The outlet fixture itself need to be a weather-resistant version of GFCI, AND the box it is mounted in must have a While-in-Use cover. This is normally mounted on the box with a gasket and extends out from the box a few inches with a hinged cover so that it creates a sheltered space inside for the plug, and enough space to curl the cord down and out of a slot at the bottom. Thus that entire space should be dry so no water leaks into the outlet past the plug. The most common covers of this type I see are all plastic with a clear outer cover so you actually can see the plug inside. For my garage I bought a much more durable unit of cast aluminum. OP, I have no idea whether such covers are required where you are.

 

[IronWing]

Where I live in Ontario Canada, the requirements for exterior outlets (on a garage or not) regarding weather are two-fold. The outlet fixture itself need to be a weather-resistant version of GFCI, AND the box it is mounted in must have a While-in-Use cover. This is normally mounted on the box with a gasket and extends out from the box a few inches with a hinged cover so that it creates a sheltered space inside for the plug, and enough space to curl the cord down and out of a slot at the bottom. Thus that entire space should be dry so no water leaks into the outlet past the plug. The most common covers of this type I see are all plastic with a clear outer cover so you actually can see the plug inside. For my garage I bought a much more durable unit of cast aluminum. OP, I have no idea whether such covers are required where you are.

We had two exterior outlets added at different times. For the first one, located in a carport, the electrician installed one with a plastic cover like you are describing and said it was needed to meet code.



For the second one, more exposed than the first, a different electrician installed a simple flip open outlet enclosure w/ GFCI outlet, also stating that it met code.

A better sealed version of this:

 

[Paperdoc]

Yeah, now in Ontario that second one you show is NOT acceptable for any exterior outlet. I DID used to be the standard, and I have a couple of that type in the exterior of my house from when I re-wired in 1971. But as we can see, when a cord is plugged into one or both sockets there is nothing to prevent rain from flowing down the front and seeping behind the plug body. So while that cover system does protect the socket when the cover is closed, it cannot protect While In Use. Hence the name of the new cover design as in your first photo. Here's a photo of the cast aluminum one I bought - this is a 2-gang (4 sockets) model with the cover propped open.

 

[pete6032]

We'll I finally got around to replacing the old outlet, which was Leviton. No manufactured date on it but you can see what happened. The plastic cracked, making it nearly impossible to plug anything in in the top outlet without the plug sagging and falling out. I'm guessing this may be original to the house so 1950s.

 

[Paperdoc]

I'd say that shows signs of overheating. But the real clue is your report that plugs were not held in firmly. I have had a couple of those. It's a result of slow weakening with age of the springy brass metal elements inside so they no longer grab the blades well. THAT means poor contact and higher resistance at the contact points, hence HEAT generated inside the fixture. The heat accelerates the process by causing more rapid oxidation of the brass, so it gets worse faster over time.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow flat head screws, and brown. Definitely old. It did it's time and probably just got brittle with time.

 

[pete6032]

Wow flat head screws, and brown. Definitely old. It did it's time and probably just got brittle with time.

I would post a picture of the garage where this outlet came from but someone here might call the city on me and have it condemned 😋. I don't think the garage has had any work since the house was built, other than garage door and opener.

 

[NutBucket]

The real clue is "Made in USA". That's how you know it is old