Has anyone down there (or up here) seen hairdryers with what appears to be a GFI built in on the cord? The owner of the house I just finished had one. She had old wiring, and no GFI in the bathroom. She has one now. Which makes me wonder, is there a problem with having this "pre-GFI'd" hairdryer plugged into a GFI outlet?!?!

[This message has been edited by mickky (edited 08-18-2001).]

mickky,

That's quite common down here in the US. Many Hairdriers come with the integral GFCI. I don't see any problem with it being used on a GFCI receptacle. It would be more like double protection if anything. I haven't noticed any "Nuisance tripping" with them either.

Does your code (CEC) require GFCIs' in specific locations? If so, which ones?

:0
Bill

422-41. Cord- and Plug-Connected Appliances Subject to Immersion
Cord- and plug-connected portable freestanding hydromassage units and hand-held hair dryers shall be constructed to provide protection for personnel against electrocution when immersed while in the “on” or “off” position.

422-41.
Although receptacles in bathrooms of dwelling units have been required to be protected by ground-fault circuit interrupters since the 1975 edition of the Code, many receptacles in existing bathrooms are not so protected. Cord- and plug-connected appliances such as hand-held hair dryers, curling irons, and so on, which can and have accidentally fallen into bathtubs, causing fatalities, are required to be provided with some form of protective device that is part of the appliance. Three types of protectors comply with this requirement: ALCIs, IDCIs, and GFCIs.
Appliance-leakage circuit interrupters (ALCIs) are intended to de-energize the supply to the appliance when leakage current exceeds a predetermined value. Immersion-detector circuit interrupters (IDCIs) de-energize the supply when a liquid causes a conductive path between a live part and a sensor. Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) de-energize the supply when the current to ground exceeds a predetermined value.

\As far as my research has told me, we generally require gfi's in the same locations as you-bathrooms, countertops within a certain distance of water, outdoor receptacles, etc. The hairdryer gfi is completely new to me, though. I'm wondering if they are intending to make them required on all small ungrounded appliances

mickky,

I don't think they're trying to put these things on all small appliances. After Joe T's post I'm wondering if they are actually GFCI's on the hairdrier cords or ALCIs, IDCIs. ?? But, anyway, we've had them for years down here (US)

Bill

>is there a problem with having this "pre-GFI'd" hairdryer plugged into a GFI outlet?!?!
You can daisy chain a 1000 GFCIs without nuisance tripping. But when you hit the test button on the device at the tail end, you will have around 1000 breakers to reset.