Code Change Summary: New requirements added regarding GFCI protection for specific appliances.

In the 2020 NEC^®, GFCI protection was required for specific appliances and the rules were located in Article 422. Section 422.5(A) was the go-to location to see which specific appliances required GFCI protection and Section 422.5(B) told the code reader how the GFCI protection was permitted to be supplied.

In the 2020 NEC^®, Section 210.8(D) did nothing more than tell the code reader how to apply the language in Section 422.5. To be able to follow the previous rules, the code reader needed to have a finger from one hand on the page for Section 210.8(D) and a finger from the other hand marking the page where Section 422.5 was located, with a bunch of flipping back and forth to read both code sections simultaneously.

2020 Section 422.5(A) required the following 7 appliances to have Class A GFCI protection if they were rated 150 volts or less to ground and 60 amperes or less, single- or 3-phase:

(1) Automotive vacuum machines

(2) Drinking water coolers and bottle fill stations

(3) Cord-and-plug-connected high-pressure spray washing machines

(4) Tire inflation machines

(5) Vending machines

(6) Sump pumps

(7) Dishwashers

2020 Section 422.5(B) detailed the type and location of the device providing the GFCI protection as follows:

The GFCI shall be readily accessible, listed, and located in one or more of the following locations:

(1) Within the branch-circuit overcurrent device

(2) A device or outlet within the supply circuit

(3) An integral part of the attachment plug

(4) Within the supply cord not more than 12 inches from the attachment plug

(5) Factory installed within the appliance

In a nutshell, the first paragraph in 2020 NEC^® Section 210.8(D) could be summed up as follows:

If any of the seven types of appliances from 422.5(A) did not have GFCI protection as an integral part of the attachment plug, or within the supply cord not more than 12 inches from the attachment plug, or factory installed within the appliance, then either the overcurrent device that supplied the appliance must be of the GFCI type, or a GFCI device such as a receptacle needed to be installed in the supply circuit.

In the 2023 NEC^®, the previous language from Section 422.5 is still present but the text in Section 210.8(D) has completely changed.

Now, Section 210.8(D) provides the following 12-item list of specific appliances that require Class A GFCI protection, either at the branch circuit level or at the actual outlet supplying the appliances:

(1) Automotive vacuum machines

(2) Drinking water coolers and bottle fill stations

(3) High-pressure spray washing machines

(4) Tire inflation machines

(5) Vending machines

(6) Sump pumps

(7) Dishwashers

(8) Electric ranges

(9) Wall-mounted ovens

(10) Counter-mounted cooking units

(11) Clothes dryers

(12) Microwave ovens

The previous language from Section 210.8(D) that went into detail on how the GFCI protection method must be accomplished has been deleted. That previous language was just too much to lay on the installer or the electrical inspector for proper enforcement.

Below is a preview of the NEC^®. See the actual NEC^® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2023 NEC^® edition of NFPA 70.