Rick, at the time I was getting the garage build, the GFCI requirement only specified the bedrooms (and that was v. fresh requirement). My refridge was doing well, being hooked up to GFCI outlet for many years (10?) and something went ker-plunk
and it stopped. I was able to hook it up to a conventional outlet and all is good.
Les
Before installing GFCI, what you should look is if the housing of the safelights is metal or plastic. Since it is metal housing, I think there is no need for 3-wire. I think this was well explained by other members. Also about the toaster.
Also, I am not sure if rewiring a house is necessary here. But if you are confident about it, then choose a licensed electrician for the rewiring, as it can be huge.
Once you fix it, have a regular check. And also if it ever trip try not to just reset the GFCI, but to find the problem, as there might be any unintended path to the ground.
GFCI circuits are already installed in the darkroom and no need for any rewiring the house!
It is 5 Kodak Model C metal safelights, original 2 wires, no ground and non polarized plug. All cords are pretty stiff and wish to change them.
My questions was, do I still have the GFCI protection from a no ground plug and if it is better to rewire in 3 wires plug. Answer look yes and that 2 wires cord are ok.
I start changing the old cords for new cords with polarized plug. Already mounted standard lamp cords from Home Depot.
I just need to respect the polarized plug, connecting correctly NEUTRAL, wider blade, ribbed wire on the silver screw.
Thanks all for your contribution.
My Lumen project http://ginetteclement.com
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
I still wonder why Kodak changed to 3 wire. It would seem that with a metal body safelight a 3 wire plug with ground connected to the body would be better. If something happened within the light to short the hot wire to the metal body the CB would trip. With an ungrounded connection the body would be hot and you could get shocked if you touched it. Maybe a GFCI is sensitive enough to trip with an ungrounded body and the hot wire shorted to the body. Enough leakage through the light mounting system.
A wild guess is: before GFIs and in an effort to improve electrical safety in industrial environments, some cities wanted everything grounded with the third wire. Duplex outlets in houses were changed to ground, 3-wire types. The house I grew up in was built in 1960 and it only had 2-wire outlets. When 3-wire plugs came along, we had to use "cheaters" everywhere. There's a false sense of security.
E
A GFCI is worried about current through a HUMAN body, not a product body.
As I said earlier, the GFCI just compares the amount of current flowing through the two service lines.
If those are not equal, it detects a fault and opens the circuit.
It does not care why the two are unequal, only about the fact that they are unequal.
- Leigh
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
I think everybody is overthinking a safelight.
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