# price of gfci



## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Patents.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

If it's any consolation they are lower quality than they used to be.


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## J F Go (Mar 1, 2014)

I personally could care less what they cost, cause I won't install them . It's a GFCI breaker for all my installations. Those receptacles, you speak of, are way to unreliable, as far as I;m concerned. And besides, it's way easier to replace a breaker, when it's freezing cold outside, then one of those damn receptacle outlets. JMPO


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

J F Go said:


> I personally could care less what they cost, cause I won't install them . It's a GFCI breaker for all my installations. Those receptacles, you speak of, are way to unreliable, as far as I;m concerned. And besides, it's way easier to replace a breaker, when it's freezing cold outside, then one of those damn receptacle outlets. JMPO


You would rather pay $50 for a breaker than $16 for a receptacle to accomplish the same thing? We have gfi failures occasionally but it is usually ones outside, especially ones in landscape posts. We replace very few under warranty. 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk


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## J F Go (Mar 1, 2014)

Forge Boyz said:


> You would rather pay $50 for a breaker than $16 for a receptacle to accomplish the same thing? We have gfi failures occasionally but it is usually ones outside, especially ones in landscape posts. We replace very few under warranty.
> 
> Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk


You just made my point. The one's that usually fail are the ones outside. Most are on the deck and installed 12" AFF. I'm not the one paying the 50 bucks, customer is. I have not replaced one breaker in the past 10 plus years since I started doing this, can you say the same about your GFCI receptacles ? And with the new "plug onto the neutral" design makes it even easier. I don't know about anyone else, but I like easy.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

J F Go said:


> I don't know about anyone else, but I like easy.



In residential, the trifecta is easy, cheap, and fast.


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## J F Go (Mar 1, 2014)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> In residential, the trifecta is easy, cheap, and fast.


Actually you left one very important one out, No Go Backs.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

I try to avoid putting gfi's outside if I can. We do a fair amount of work for a landscape company and that is when we end up using gfi's in the posts. Other than outside I don't see a lot of gfi failures. 
The flip side of receptacles vs breakers is that it is easier for home owners to find the receptacle with the trip button popped out and reset it than go open the panel. Then you dont have to deal with the "are you going to charge me for the 2 minutes you were here" as much.

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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

J F Go said:


> You just made my point. The one's that usually fail are the ones outside. Most are on the deck and installed 12" AFF. I'm not the one paying the 50 bucks, customer is. I have not replaced one breaker in the past 10 plus years since I started doing this, can you say the same about your GFCI receptacles ? And with the new "plug onto the neutral" design makes it even easier. I don't know about anyone else, but I like easy.


Half the old panels I work on are packed full of excess wire. Then there are the guys obsessed with cable ties. How is a breaker easier? Besides that, I’m not going to pay the bandits at Schneider for a Stab Lok GFCI breaker.

My failure rate on GFCI receptacles is almost zero. I did replace GFCI breakers after a thunderstorm, though.


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## zac (May 11, 2009)

J F Go said:


> You just made my point. The one's that usually fail are the ones outside. Most are on the deck and installed 12" AFF. I'm not the one paying the 50 bucks, customer is. I have not replaced one breaker in the past 10 plus years since I started doing this, can you say the same about your GFCI receptacles ? And with the new "plug onto the neutral" design makes it even easier. I don't know about anyone else, but I like easy.


That's not for me. Chances are there's a fluorescent in that circuit (garage). Also if it's exterior, chances are it's getting a bath and a gfci breaker will trip just the same. 

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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

J F Go said:


> You just made my point. The one's that usually fail are the ones outside. Most are on the deck and installed 12" AFF. I'm not the one paying the 50 bucks, customer is. I have not replaced one breaker in the past 10 plus years since I started doing this, can you say the same about your GFCI receptacles ? And with the new "plug onto the neutral" design makes it even easier. I don't know about anyone else, but I like easy.


 I have never had to replace a GFCI receptacle that I installed under warranty. The ones that I did have to replace after many years, I charged a service call fee and made money. Even then, it’s still very few.

As for the customer paying the extra expense for the breaker, I have to disagree with that. If you can charge them that extra $35 and they are willing to pay it, it still makes more sense for you to install the receptacle instead and pocket that extra $35 each as pure profit.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

The price of GFCI's went up due to tariffs. LED's are next.


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## J F Go (Mar 1, 2014)

Well all I can say is this is how I do it and I haven't replaced a breaker or got nuisance tripping either (Florescent lights). Haven't found to many panels I couldn't put a GFCI breaker in either. If I find a panel that bad, I'll show the customer and do some sort of repairs,(clean-up,) upgrade as it were. I guess there are many ways to look at this and mine has worked just fine for me. Not going to change the way I do it after all these years.


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

J F Go,
What is it you have against profit? Hax is right. If you can sell the job with a $50 GFCI breaker in the cost, then you can sell the job for the same price with a $16 GFI receptacle in the cost. Use the money to pick up pizza and beer on the way home. Still plenty of money left to cover your time for the rare callback for a defective outlet.
Hax would spend it on hookers and blow, but who am I to judge:biggrin:


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

I have replaced many old gfi’s that were installed outside, but none of them were installed by me. They were there for a long time, way past any warranty givin by the installer.

There are times when you should use a breaker instead of a receptacle, but doing it every time because your worried about receptacle failure is a waste, it really doesn’t happen that often.


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## AK_sparky (Aug 13, 2013)

In my house I put the GFCI inside near the door, and run the outside receptacle as a load off it. Keeps the electronics dry, and the outside receptacle protected.

Of course it was my own house, so the added labour cost wasn't really a huge consideration for me. I'm not sure how I would do it if I were trying to make money on a job.


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

RICK BOYD said:


> Almost all electronic products get cheaper after they have been around for a while
> 
> why are gfci receptacles still $16
> 
> they should be about $3


I have noticed that prices of GFCI's have drifted down many times, then new requirements kick in and price goes back up

The older ones could be mis-wired with line and load reversed (and often were)

And most recently: TR!


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

AK_sparky said:


> In my house I put the GFCI inside near the door, and run the outside receptacle as a load off it. Keeps the electronics dry, and the outside receptacle protected.
> 
> Of course it was my own house, so the added labour cost wasn't really a huge consideration for me. I'm not sure how I would do it if I were trying to make money on a job.


Between material and extra labor, I think you'd be better off just using a GFCI breaker in both situations (your house or a customer's).


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

readydave8 said:


> I have noticed that prices of GFCI's have drifted down many times, then new requirements kick in and price goes back up
> 
> The older ones could be mis-wired with line and load reversed (and often were)
> 
> And most recently: TR!


The price of TR's started coming down, and then BAM, self-testing were released at the new higher price :biggrin:


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

AK_sparky said:


> In my house I put the GFCI inside near the door, and run the outside receptacle as a load off it. Keeps the electronics dry, and the outside receptacle protected.
> 
> Of course it was my own house, so the added labour cost wasn't really a huge consideration for me. I'm not sure how I would do it if I were trying to make money on a job.


In Canada, if it is a single dwelling, the outside receptacles must be on a dedicated circuit not shared with receptacles inside. :vs_no_no_no: :wink:


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## AK_sparky (Aug 13, 2013)

HackWork said:


> Between material and extra labor, I think you'd be better off just using a GFCI breaker in both situations (your house or a customer's).


Ya, could very well be. Personally I prefer this setup over the breaker GFCI.



eddy current said:


> In Canada, if it is a single dwelling, the outside receptacles must be on a dedicated circuit not shared with receptacles inside. :vs_no_no_no: :wink:


Yes, the inspector tried to call that out, but I reminded him that this was just a panel change permit and by doing the GFCI/outdoor circuit this way I was making it safer than the non-GFCI outlet that was there before, but I said I could change it back if he wanted me to; he was happy enough to leave it my way!

You could put a blank GFCI inside I suppose, but at that point the breaker would definitely make more sense.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

eddy current said:


> In Canada, if it is a single dwelling, the outside receptacles must be on a dedicated circuit not shared with receptacles inside. :vs_no_no_no: :wink:


Ground floor only, right?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

HackWork said:


> I have never had to replace a GFCI receptacle that I installed under warranty. The ones that I did have to replace after many years, I charged a service call fee and made money. Even then, it’s still very few.
> 
> As for the customer paying the extra expense for the breaker, I have to disagree with that. If you can charge them that extra $35 and they are willing to pay it, it still makes more sense for you to install the receptacle instead and pocket that extra $35 each as pure profit.


I generally agree with 99.5% of what you say about pricing and profit but I look at things much differently now than I used to.

I don't worry about material costs at all, don't really even give them much thought.

I just look at the job, figure what could happen/go wrong when doing it and what I want to pocket for the finished product and that is what I ask for.

Hasn't been an issue yet!


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I generally agree with 99.5% of what you say about pricing and profit but I look at things much differently now than I used to.
> 
> I don't worry about material costs at all, don't really even give them much thought.
> 
> ...


Understandable. We all have different views and goals.

One of my goals is to maximize profits.

If I can sell a job installing a circuit with a GFCI outlet for (example) $300 or with a GFCI breaker for $335, then I could also sell the GFCI outlet for $335, and profit that extra $35.

Now if the customer actually knew the difference and was willing to pay more money for the GFCI breaker installation, then it's definitely a smart thing to do. But that doesn't happen often in electrical work like it does in the other traces.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

HackWork said:


> Understandable. We all have different views and goals.
> 
> One of my goals is to maximize profits.
> 
> ...


My goal would be $400 and install which ever was easiest and fastest.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

99cents said:


> eddy current said:
> 
> 
> > In Canada, if it is a single dwelling, the outside receptacles must be on a dedicated circuit not shared with receptacles inside.
> ...


Right. Only the ones accessible from ground level. CEC 2015 26-726(a)


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

MechanicalDVR said:


> My goal would be $400 and install which ever was easiest and fastest.


Exactly. It’s like saying I will charge for armoured cable and use Romex when I intended on using Romex anyway. Makes no sense. What makes sense is to increase the calculated price on a Romex job if that still gets you jobs and meets your hit rate.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

99cents said:


> Exactly. It’s like saying I will charge for armoured cable and use Romex when I intended on using Romex anyway. Makes no sense. What makes sense is to increase the calculated price on a Romex job if that still gets you jobs and meets your hit rate.


You got it.

These days if a customer wants to buy their own materials I give them the list and say have at it. My price is labor only very often and I haven't had one I wanted turn me down yet.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

HackWork said:


> The price of TR's started coming down, and then BAM, self-testing were released at the new higher price :biggrin:


That is exactly why they went up...


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Pretty much a mute pointed thread since every freaking circuit in the world has to be afci/gfci protected. I can't see any reason to put a gfci rec in a new home.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

MechanicalDVR said:


> My goal would be $400 and install which ever was easiest and fastest.


You see, now we agree completely. I could get on board with easiest and fastest. :biggrin:

That's the reason why I spend 5 times as much on Lever Nuts vs. wirenuts, or 3 times as much on EMT offset connectors vs. regular connectors and having to use a bender.

But in this situation, I can install a GFCI receptacle just as quick and easy as a breaker. So using your $400 price that you would charge for the job, I would profit an extra $35 if I installed the outlet instead of the breaker.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

HackWork said:


> You see, now we agree completely. I could get on board with easiest and fastest. :biggrin:
> 
> That's the reason why I spend 5 times as much on Lever Nuts vs. wirenuts, or 3 times as much on EMT offset connectors vs. regular connectors and having to use a bender.
> 
> But in this situation, I can install a GFCI receptacle just as quick and easy as a breaker. *So using your $400 price that you would charge for the job, I would profit an extra $35 if I installed the outlet instead of the breaker*.


Provided you were buying materials. I'd rather hand the list to the homeowner for them to go get materials and let them feel involved and free me up to do just the labor end of the job itself.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I'd rather hand the list to the homeowner for them to go get materials...



In my experience that has trouble written all over it.


I could give them a _complete list_, send them to _my supplier _where they already have the _list filled_ and they'll still come back with wrong shirt. :vs_laugh:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

CTshockhazard said:


> In my experience that has trouble written all over it.
> 
> 
> I could give them a _complete list_, send them to _my supplier _where they already have the _list filled_ and they'll still come back with wrong shirt. :vs_laugh:


Haven't really had that issue yet doing resi work. 

Side benefit is when the HO says to take the left over materials when the job is done, only had one keep the stuff.


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