I bought a Broan 455FL medicine cabinet for a bathroom. It has a single 15 amp receptacle and 2 fluorescent lights. This would be the only receptacle in the bathroom. Its a grounded outlet but not a gfci so my thought is to put a gfci breaker in at the panel. I know bathrooms need to be on a 20 amp w/12-2. So if I have 1 15 amp receptacle and 12-2 going to the bathroom, what can be done to get the medicine cabinet wired safely?
Medicine Cabinet with 15 amp receptacle
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hj
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medicine cabinet
As far as I know, medicine cabinet receptacles have been outlawed for decades, but since you have one and appear to want to use it, it must be on a GFCI circuit because by definition it will be over the sink.
As far as I know, medicine cabinet receptacles have been outlawed for decades, but since you have one and appear to want to use it, it must be on a GFCI circuit because by definition it will be over the sink.
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Chris75
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Its not outlawed, but here is the problem, is it really a duplex receptacle or just a single receptacle?
Never mind, you made that clear, the only problem I see is that your still going to need the required 20 amp "WALL" receptacle within 3' of the sink to meet code.
Never mind, you made that clear, the only problem I see is that your still going to need the required 20 amp "WALL" receptacle within 3' of the sink to meet code.
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hj
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outlets
You would be surprised how many "illegal" things are sold by stores like HD and Lowes. Medicine cabinet outlets used to be an automatic thing back in the 50's and 60's, but I have not even seen one in decades, so I assumed no one was producing them any more.
You would be surprised how many "illegal" things are sold by stores like HD and Lowes. Medicine cabinet outlets used to be an automatic thing back in the 50's and 60's, but I have not even seen one in decades, so I assumed no one was producing them any more.
Chris75
Electrician
Chris75
Electrician
hj
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over the sink
Not a GFCI problem but having the cord coming down above the sink could induce the person to use it there and thus have a greater chance of accidently dropping into any water in the sink. They were never "duplex" outlets, but the older ones also did not have room for a grounding outlet. Now the cabinets with the lights and outlet on the side might be somewhat safer, but I would still go with the wall outlet.
Not a GFCI problem but having the cord coming down above the sink could induce the person to use it there and thus have a greater chance of accidently dropping into any water in the sink. They were never "duplex" outlets, but the older ones also did not have room for a grounding outlet. Now the cabinets with the lights and outlet on the side might be somewhat safer, but I would still go with the wall outlet.
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