Installing a GFCI. Questions

[I_Got_Crabs]

Not sure where to lost this thread... Currently setting up a 65 g with 20 g sump. The only place for it is directly infront of an outlet. I thought I would try to make things safer by keeping the tank 6-8 " away from the wall and outlet, and installing a GFCI and weatherproof case.

I am afraid I have opened up a can of worms. House was built in 1960 and we bought it about a year ago.

1) My breaker panel has mostly 15 amp switches, but also some 20 amp switches, and I can't seem to locate the main switch for the entire panel. Is this normal?

2) The switch for the outlet my tank will be on says 15 Amp. I am assuming installing a 15 amp GFCI will be fine on this circuit. Am I correct?

As always thanks for the help!

 

[Crabs McJones]

@Brew12 is our resident electrician. He might be able to help I can barely install a ceiling fan lol

 

[ScooterV]

That 15A GFCI should be fine. As far as a disconnect you must have one somewhere. If not at the top of the panel, then close. Unless it's a sub panel. Do you have another panel near where your electric comes in? If so, the breaker to that sub-panel would be in there. @Brew12 can refine what you need, and how, but look for that main cut-off or breaker in a main panel.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

#1. You dont need to cut power to the entire panel just the breaker of the circuit you are working on.
#2. the main power shut off is likely located under your protective plate.
#3. in an system that old do you have ground wires??

 

[Brew12]

#1. You dont need to cut power to the entire panel just the breaker of the circuit you are working on.

Exactly this. Just turning off the breaker that feeds the outlet you are changing will be fine.

#2. the main power shut off is likely located under your protective plate.

Yup, or they may have installed a fused disconnect in the meter that feeds the house. Either way, it isn't needed.

#3. in an system that old do you have ground wires??

Great point. 3 prong outlets didn't become required for non wet areas until 1962 so your house may not have them. A GFCI will still work without the ground wire so that isn't an issue. My biggest concern would be light fixtures with metal housings. I would make sure everything in the tank, and anything around the tank that originally had a 3 prong plug, was on a GFCI circuit.

 

[ScooterV]

Just to clarify, and @Brew12 came by.... I took the question about no disconnect as being separate from the rest of the question. Are there actually homes with no primary disconnect? I thought the max was "6 throws" for many years, and before that required just one? Sorry to side track the OP, but it looked like a separate question

 

[Brew12]

Just to clarify, and @Brew12 came by.... I took the question about no disconnect as being separate from the rest of the question. Are there actually homes with no primary disconnect? I thought the max was "6 throws" for many years, and before that required just one? Sorry to side track the OP, but it looked like a separate question

You are correct, if there are more than 6 breakers then a main disconnect is required. The disconnect doesn't need to be at the panel itself based on federal code. Local code may require it to be at the panel though.