GFCI outlet questons.

[photo2010]

I understand that I will have to have a dedicated 3 prong GFCI outlet installed in my bathroom for the washlet i will eventually have installed. My bathroom currently has only two 2-prong outlets. They are connected to the light switch and turn on and off with the switch.
Can anyone give me an idea of how big a job installing a GFCI outlet is? I will be hiring an electrician for the job, and am wondering approximately how much the cost might be? I live in a high-rise condo on the sixth floor. Thank you!

[jwelectric]

There are so many variables that answering this question would be impossible. It could be very easy if there was an open ceiling or under floor and very hard if neither was accessible.

The cost will greatly depend on the amount of labor for snaking the conductors into place will take. Will you accept exposed conduit or will you require everything be canceled? Will there be a lot of furniture and appliances that will need to be moved in order to access the space needed for this installation or is it all open walls?

Then there is always the issue of the calculated load on the service. Is the service large enough to add another 1500 watts to it or will it now require an upgrade?

[hj]

Cost will be directly related to how extensive the job is, and whether the electrician works slow or fast. None of which we know for sure.

[jadnashua]

You might also want to ask what it would take to rewire the existing outlets so that they meet current code. The circuit must be GFCI protected, but that can be done three ways: a GFCI breaker, a plugless GFCI wall mounted unit (then use a 'normal' outlet), or an integrated GFCI receptacle. Since the thing is likely going to be burried below the toilet, you may want to consider something other than an integrated GFCI receptacle so that you don't have to crawl down there to check, test, or reset the thing.

[scelectrician]

The NEC allows you to install a light on the bathroom GFI. It may be a verry simple job of just replacing the 2 prong receptacle with a GFI

[hj]

I doubt that a GFCI plug in receptacle would fit one of his "regular outlets" without cutting its ground prong off.

[Bobelectric]

Brilliant resposne,plumber!

[hj]

Plumber/electrician might be more like it. In my early years I did almost as much electrical wiring, and troubleshooting, as I did plumbing. In later years I mainly just wired my own houses, using conduit, which blew the inspectors away since they said they had never seen such a thing.