# Weather resistant GFCI's



## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

So I've known of the weather resistant gfci receptacles (WR) for a while although I never bothered to use them and never had an inspector say he was going to require them until today. He told me all the receptacles on my roof top units have to be the WR type. Now really can anyone tell me whats the differance between them and a standard GFCI besides the weather resistant one having a little blue WR on the face of them. Cuz call me crazy if the receptacle is in a bubble cover isn't that pretty weather resistant??? Ive seen reg. GFCIs with busted off covers working just fine out in the elements for years. I guess now this is another thing I have to keep on the truck along with the tamper resistant devices which I also hate. Ughhhh okay end of rant.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I actually recently got to see some WR GFCIs I'd installed several years back in a really wet area. Several of them had obviously smoked or otherwise failed.

The metal is supposed to be plated to be more corrosion resistant, the plastic is supposed to be more UV and temperature resistant, and some of them coat their circuit boards as well. The coated circuit boards is what gave me high-hopes they'd last a little better, but apparently not.


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

Its have a feeling its a gimick that the manufacturers got the code panel guys to buy into so they could make a few extra million on us.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

robmac85 said:


> Its have a feeling its a gimick that the manufacturers got the code panel guys to buy into so they could make a few extra million on us.


Yup. I don't stock them and haven't been called on it yet. I ain't paying another 2-3 bucks for a little logo.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

I actually only stock the weather resistant gfcis now. Just one less thing to worry about. Hubbell is what I use and never had a problem with them. Cost about the same as a standard tamper resistant gfci so no big deal to me.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

They have a stainless steel strap and mounting screws, a potted circuit board and the plastic is UV resistant. :nerd::nerd:


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Going_Commando said:


> Yup. I don't stock them and haven't been called on it yet. I ain't paying another 2-3 bucks for a little logo.


It'll all be okay until one of them disintegrates and starts a fire. Then you will pay a lot more than 2-3 bucks............:laughing::laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I've replaced numerous failed standard GFCI's installed outdoors so I only install WR now.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

MTW said:


> I've replaced numerous failed standard GFCI's installed outdoors so I only install WR now.


I bet you have a code book too. These threads blow my mind and reinforce my negative feelings toward the trade.


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

Going_Commando said:


> Yup. I don't stock them and haven't been called on it yet. I ain't paying another 2-3 bucks for a little logo.


I do hope you are just trolling.


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## vinister (Apr 11, 2012)

The difference in longevity between zinc plated mild steel and stainless steel is well known. As is the difference in cost. 

The advantages of conformal coating on circuit boards is well known, as is the difference in cost. 

We all know there are some plastics that go brittle in the elements, and some plastics that do not. 

It boggles my mind that you guys don't understand that this is more than a logo and a couple of extra dollars!

I recently moved into a home with GFCI's installed outside. The covers were busted off and the seal had disintegrated and been replaced with caulking. The outlet worked but the test button did not. When unplugging the lawnmower, the whole face of the receptacle disintegrated (UV damage) The mounting screws were completely seized with rust, which propagated through the enclosure and rusted the ground screw & connection. The strap of the device was mostly dust, and had cracked at the top from the force of pulling the plug out. 

Clearly, a WR type receptacle would have held up much better and it is quite easy to justify its cost. 

Newsflash... not everyone is out to screw you. Shareholders did not design WR receptacles - engineers did. They subjected regular receptacles to weather testing, saw where they failed, and addressed those areas. They created a product that better withstands the environment it is designed for. They did so for minimal extra cost. And you guys are ****ting on them as if they are trying to steal money out of your pocket. 

The inspectors are forcing you to use them just as the Police force you to wear your seatbelt. If you are not intelligent enough to do the right thing, sometimes someone more intelligent has to force you to do the right thing. Because intelligent people are looking at more information than you are looking at - they are looking at the big picture. Guaranteed, in the long term, it will be far cheaper to install WR receptacles everywhere they are subject to weather, than to install regular ones that need periodic replacement.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

vinister said:


> ...Clearly, a WR type receptacle would have held up much better and it is quite easy to justify its cost....


 I don't have a problem with the idea of WR receptacles. I don't care enough one way or the other to refuse to install them, but at this point it isn't clear to me that they actually last longer.

If the ones I installed--which received very light use--didn't last but a couple years, I mean, maybe a non-WR would've burned out sooner, but I'm still not impressed.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

vinister said:


> Newsflash... not everyone is out to screw you. Shareholders did not design WR receptacles - engineers did. They subjected regular receptacles to weather testing, saw where they failed, and addressed those areas. They created a product that better withstands the environment it is designed for. They did so for minimal extra cost. And you guys are ****ting on them as if they are trying to steal money out of your pocket.
> 
> .


Post a video of those R&D engineers @ Leviton _urinating_ on their product after install, and i'm in Vinster

:whistling2::thumbup:~CS~


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

Ok calm down there tough guys. All I'm saying here is I'm skeptical of the advantages of these new products. Here is a pic of said receptacle hanging from a magnet, so there goes the stainless theory, unless Pass and Seymour are just chinsing out. The second pic is of a GFCI circa 1985 at my own house still functioning as it did the day it was new outside with an old fashioned flip cover made by Sylvania probably in the USA. I'm sorry if my questioning products and new requirements makes any of you have hatred toward the trade.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

You should avoid installing GFCIs outdoors anyway. In the past I installed GFCI breakers and specification grade receptacles outdoors. IMHO the fewer electronic circuit boards in an outdoor environment the better.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

IslandGuy said:


> You should avoid installing GFCIs outdoors anyway. In the past I installed GFCI breakers and specification grade receptacles outdoors. IMHO the fewer electronic circuit boards in an outdoor environment the better.


GFCI under the panel loads out to all outside receptacle outlets on my installs

cheaper, more durable, and one is able to turn it all off (which is a consideration of 2nd homes only getting ski biz here)

~CS~


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

Even standard duplex need to be WR type when used outside now.


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## vinister (Apr 11, 2012)

How about these...

They have rubber curtains to block out the elements.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

I find the term _'resistant'_ as applied to New England weather , somewhat debatable Rob 

~CS~


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

vinister said:


> The difference in longevity between zinc plated mild steel and stainless steel is well known. As is the difference in cost.
> 
> The advantages of conformal coating on circuit boards is well known, as is the difference in cost.
> 
> ...


Oh cool, you have an electric lawn mower.


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## vinister (Apr 11, 2012)

jrannis said:


> Oh cool, you have an electric lawn mower.


I dont understand your objection.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Going_Commando said:


> Yup. I don't stock them and haven't been called on it yet. I ain't paying another 2-3 bucks for a little logo.


I pay less than $10 for TR/WRs I just keep a 10 pack on the truck, if someone goes to HD, they will see some prices in the upper teens so, I can charge 3x my cost for a decent margin.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

IslandGuy said:


> You should avoid installing GFCIs outdoors anyway. In the past I installed GFCI breakers and specification grade receptacles outdoors. IMHO the fewer electronic circuit boards in an outdoor environment the better.


You apparently do not wire or even quote any new resi construction. 
I would like to use GRC everywhere but in real life the will not keep me working.


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

Dang who woulda knew that weather resistant GFI's would get everyone so revved up! Wait till I start my next post on using 15 amp receptacles on 20 amp circuits in a commercial job. Stuff is gonna get nuts!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Only a hack would complain about a $2 premium on a GFCI receptacle.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

robmac85 said:


> Ok calm down there tough guys. All I'm saying here is I'm skeptical of the advantages of these new products. Here is a pic of said receptacle hanging from a magnet, so there goes the stainless theory, unless Pass and Seymour are just chinsing out. The second pic is of a GFCI circa 1985 at my own house still functioning as it did the day it was new outside with an old fashioned flip cover made by Sylvania probably in the USA. I'm sorry if my questioning products and new requirements makes any of you have hatred toward the trade.
> 
> View attachment 35027
> 
> ...


it is my understanding that there are many grades of stainless, some are magnetic, probly the lower grades!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

jrannis said:


> I pay less than $10 for TR/WRs I just keep a 10 pack on the truck, if someone goes to HD, they will see some prices in the upper teens so, I can charge 3x my cost for a decent margin.


Yeah, ok, and 480sparky gets regular ones for $5.50 too.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

papaotis said:


> it is my understanding that there are many grades of stainless, some are magnetic, probly the lower grades!


It's probably plated steel.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

It may be just me, and I don't do a lot of outdoor GFCi's, but it seems that I have the WR units fail about twice as often and non WR GFCi's I use the accordion covers either way.


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## robmac85 (Nov 20, 2013)

papaotis said:


> it is my understanding that there are many grades of stainless, some are magnetic, probly the lower grades!


Yeah this def is just plated steel, even poor grade stainless wouldn't stick to a magnet like that thing. From the ear on the itty bitty magnet on a level lol. 

The guy at the counter sold me on some bargan brand GFCI recepts once, They looked identical to P&S but they were in like an orange and yellow box and the brand name was AMMO or something like that. Well those things didnt last a month, and I was back changing them out.  Lesson learned on that.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> You apparently do not wire or even quote any new resi construction.
> I would like to use GRC everywhere but in real life the will not keep me working.


You're correct, I don't. There's very little to no money in it as EVERY electrician can wire a house. The market is flooded. 

My solution may not be common and it's definitely more expensive, but gosh darn it, it WORKS. It's dependable. The whole "WR" designation would never have come to pass if you guys didn't buy all your devices from dollar stores and the bottom bins at Home Depot.


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

MTW said:


> Yeah, ok, and 480sparky gets regular ones for $5.50 too.


I was just going to say the same thing


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## T&K (Jun 18, 2012)

I use the WR gfci receptacles, but not the WR&TR. The "tamper resistant" portion of the receptacle would seize up within a couple of months after installation. After replacing every outside receptacle on 4 new homes that were finished in a months time, I started using WR only, and I haven't had any problems since. I've considered putting the gfci inside the home (I always just jump out of the nearest receptacle to feed the outside receptacles) and only putting WR duplexes outside, but haven't for the purpose of all of the receptacles looking the same in the room, and who wants to go inside to reset the gfci when whatever you are using trips that rascal. On a side note... I do find it comical when someone puts an across the board statement of "Ain't no money in residential, every electrician knows how to wire a house". That statement couldn't be farther from the truth. I've worked with very many commercial and industrial electricians (some borderline brilliant, some borderline window licker, and every skill level in between) who couldn't wire tell you how to even begin to wire a house. And the "ain't no money in it" portion... There "ain't no" money in any category of electrical work if you can't negotiate for it instead of bid it. In this area, the light to medium sized commercial jobs are the tightest bid jobs around.


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## 120/208 (Nov 18, 2012)

jrannis said:


> I pay less than $10 for TR/WRs I just keep a 10 pack on the truck, if someone goes to HD, they will see some prices in the upper teens so, I can charge 3x my cost for a decent margin.


Same here. We have a descent P&S program set up through one of our supply houses.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

jrannis said:


> I pay less than $10 for TR/WRs I just keep a 10 pack on the truck, if someone goes to HD, they will see some prices in the upper teens so, I can charge 3x my cost for a decent margin.


So, I was wrong. We just bought a case of TR slimline Leviton GFIs for 8.50 a piece on sale, and pay $18.00 a pop for WR GFIs, and we have to order them because the supply house doesn't stock them. Hurray for podunk!


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

Going_Commando said:


> So, I was wrong. We just bought a case of TR slimline Leviton GFIs for 8.50 a piece on sale, and pay $18.00 a pop for WR GFIs, and we have to order them because the supply house doesn't stock them. Hurray for podunk!


Leviton is garbage, especially their gfi's . I have had to replace way too many of them.

We only install pass & Seymour, cheapest I even got a gfi wr was 16 bucks .


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## bkmichael65 (Mar 25, 2013)

IslandGuy said:


> You're correct, I don't. There's very little to no money in it as EVERY electrician can wire a house. The market is flooded.
> 
> My solution may not be common and it's definitely more expensive, but gosh darn it, it WORKS. It's dependable. The whole "WR" designation would never have come to pass if you guys didn't buy all your devices from dollar stores and the bottom bins at Home Depot.


Psst...your stupid is showing


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

120/208 said:


> Same here. We have a descent P&S program set up through one of our supply houses.


BUllsh!t

There is no way you are are paying 10 bucks for weather resistant gfi, especially a P&S.

I am on a discount program with them thru my supply house and I know for a fact that 10 is well below THEIR cost so they sure as hell are not going to sell you them below their cost.

I really don't know why guys have to lie on here, there are plenty of ways to troll that don't involve lying.


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

IslandGuy said:


> You're correct, I don't. There's very little to no money in it as EVERY electrician can wire a house. The market is flooded. My solution may not be common and it's definitely more expensive, but gosh darn it, it WORKS. It's dependable. The whole "WR" designation would never have come to pass if you guys didn't buy all your devices from dollar stores and the bottom bins at Home Depot.



:lol:

I make plenty of money doing new construction and maybe you could too.

But after reading your entire post I am positive you just don't have the smarts to wire anything.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

robnj772 said:


> BUllsh!t
> 
> There is no way you are are paying 10 bucks for weather resistant gfi, especially a P&S.
> 
> ...


They said it so it must be true. :no:


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

robnj772 said:


> Leviton is garbage, especially their gfi's . I have had to replace way too many of them.
> 
> We only install pass & Seymour, cheapest I even got a gfi wr was 16 bucks .


At my 4 closest supply houses, at which 3 we have accounts (and then a big box), my choices for GFIs are Leviton, Leviton, Leviton, and Leviton. I could special order Hubbell GFIs if I really wanted to, but I can get Levitons cheaper. I think even the closest Rexel CLS just switched to Leviton instead of P&S devices, but we don't do very much business with them. My old man still swears about Slater receptacles from the 80s, and refuses to buy them. :laughing:

Do you have lower failure rates with P&S GFIs over the Leviton slimlines? I haven't had a Leviton slimline quit yet, but have had 2 Hubbells (subbing for another contractor in a different part of the state) that were dead out of the box. I don't recall having a bad Leviton GFI out of the box yet.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

Going_Commando said:


> At my 4 closest supply houses, at which 3 we have accounts (and then a big box), my choices for GFIs are Leviton, Leviton, Leviton, and Leviton. I could special order Hubbell GFIs if I really wanted to, but I can get Levitons cheaper. I think even the closest Rexel CLS just switched to Leviton instead of P&S devices, but we don't do very much business with them. My old man still swears about Slater receptacles from the 80s, and refuses to buy them. :laughing:
> 
> Do you have lower failure rates with P&S GFIs over the Leviton slimlines? I haven't had a Leviton slimline quit yet, but have had 2 Hubbells (subbing for another contractor in a different part of the state) that were dead out of the box. I don't recall having a bad Leviton GFI out of the box yet.


I use Hubbell WRTR gfcis exclusively and don't recall the last time ive seen a failure

And I think I pay less than $12 for them at my supplier


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

drspec said:


> I use Hubbell WRTR gfcis exclusively and don't recall the last time ive seen a failure
> 
> And I think I pay less than $12 for them at my supplier


Just did a bit more research and I can get P&S from one of the supply houses that we have an account at. They don't carry Hubbell GFCIs, but there is another supplier that might stock them. Might have to try them out again and see how they are.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Everyone's GFCI's suck. Cooper sucks the worst though.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

Jlarson said:


> Everyone's GFCI's suck. Cooper sucks the worst though.


I installed some China-made no-names (package just said GFCI Receptacle) that were so beefy that you couldn't fit 2 of them side by side in a double decora nylon plate for a temp power setup, so I ended up having to notch the plate with my utility knife and ***** so they would fit. Both of them sh*t the bed within a couple weeks, and had to get replaced. Those suck even worse than Coopers.


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## isaacelectricllc (Dec 30, 2010)

robnj772 said:


> BUllsh!t There is no way you are are paying 10 bucks for weather resistant gfi, especially a P&S. I am on a discount program with them thru my supply house and I know for a fact that 10 is well below THEIR cost so they sure as hell are not going to sell you them below their cost. I really don't know why guys have to lie on here, there are plenty of ways to troll that don't involve lying.


I just checked my supply house website. I can get P&S 15A TRWR GFCI receptacles for $11.90. Not $10.00, but close.


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

isaacelectricllc said:


> I just checked my supply house website. I can get P&S 15A TRWR GFCI receptacles for $11.90. Not $10.00, but close.


Post an invoice or your full of crap.


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## isaacelectricllc (Dec 30, 2010)

robnj772 said:


> Post an invoice or your full of crap.












Here you go. Straight off the supply house website. P and S 1595TRWR $11.90. Now who's full of crap.


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

isaacelectricllc said:


> View attachment 35117
> 
> 
> 
> Here you go. Straight off the supply house website. P and S 1595TRWR $11.90. Now who's full of crap.


True, I get similar prices

Lesser grades of SS (304) will rust and are magnetic.

As pointed out conformal coating on the electronics and the windows have to help outdoors. 

I too try to install GFCI receptacles inside and WR receptacles outside, on the opposite wall.

It's now Code so it doesn't even matter what I think. I'm not going to tarnish my reputation by doing hack work on un-inspected work.

BTW, only one manufacturer is allowed per CMP, so they have limited influence.


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