How has GFCI protection for elevators, escalators, and lifts changed in the 2023 NEC?
Overview
Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Platform Lifts, and Stairway Chairlifts are all subject
to enhanced safety measures. As rules and safety measures evolve, and new rules and safety measures
are created, the organization of the code can become cumbersome. Certain rules can be broken down into subcategories. This is precisely what has taken place in the Section 620.6 in the 2023 NEC. Section 620.6 covers Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel. While no new rules have been added to this section, it has been rearranged into subsections, which will help make future changes easier to incorporate into The Code.
Applying the 2023 Code
| Section 620.6, which covers ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel for elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, moving walks, platform lifts, and stairway chairlifts, has been rearranged into subdivisions. While no new information has been added, the new rearrangement helps organize the section into more logical sections. Rather than the rules being located in a single paragraph, three subdivisions covering (A) Pits, Hoistways, and on Cars, (B) Machine Rooms, Control Spaces, Machinery Spaces, Control Rooms, and Truss Interiors, and (C) Sump Pumps have been added. Subdivision (A) specifies that each 15- and 20-ampere receptacle installed in pits, hoistways, and on cars need to be protected by a Class A ground-fault circuit interrupter. Subdivision (B) specifies that each 15- and 20-ampere receptacle installed in machine rooms, control spaces, machinery spaces, control rooms, and truss interiors to be protected by a Class A ground-fault circuit interrupter. Lastly, Subdivision (C) specifies that cord and plug connected sump pumps need to be protected by a Class A ground-fault circuit interrupter. |
What’s New for the 2023 NEC?
2020 NEC
In the 2020 NEC Section 620.6 read as follows:
| 620.6 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel.
Each 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle installed in pits, in hoistways, on the cars of elevators and dumbwaiters associated with wind turbine tower elevators, on the platforms or in the runways and machinery spaces of platform lifts and stairway chairlifts, and in escalator and moving walk wellways shall be of the ground-fault circuit-interrupter type. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in machine rooms, control spaces, machinery spaces, and control rooms shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel. A permanently installed sump pump shall be permanently wired or shall be supplied by a single receptacle that is ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected. |
2023 NEC
In the 2023 NEC Section 620.6 reads as follows:
| 620.6 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel.
(A) Pits, Hoistways, and on Cars. Each 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle installed in pits, in hoistways, on the cars of elevators and dumbwaiters associated with wind turbine tower elevators, on the platforms or in the runways and machinery spaces of platform lifts and stairway chairlifts, and in escalator and moving walk wellways shall be a listed Class A ground-fault circuit-interrupter type. (B) Machine Rooms, Control Spaces, Machinery Spaces, Control Rooms, and Truss Interiors. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in machine rooms, control spaces, machinery spaces, control rooms, and truss interiors shall have listed Class A ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel. (C) Sump Pumps. A permanently installed sump pump shall be permanently wired or shall be supplied by a receptacle that is protected by a listed Class A ground-fault circuit-interrupter. |
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