GFCI Outdoor Requirements: 2026 NEC Changes
The change reflects that outdoor equipment like pool heaters and larger AC compressors commonly run on 60-amp circuits, which weren't previously captured under the older 50-amp threshold.
Why HVAC equipment was ever exempt
Standard GFCIs can nuisance-trip on variable-speed HVAC compressors because of small amounts of high-frequency leakage current that aren't actually dangerous faults. Rather than force incompatible protection onto that equipment, the code carried a delayed exception forward through the 2020 and 2023 cycles while manufacturers developed compatible devices.
That gap is closing: newer Class C Special-Purpose GFCIs (SPGFCIs), including HF-rated versions, are now recognized specifically for this kind of equipment, which is what allowed the exception to finally expire.
What homeowners with outdoor HVAC or pool equipment should do
If you're installing new outdoor HVAC, pool, or spa equipment in a jurisdiction enforcing the 2026 NEC after September 1, 2026, confirm with your contractor that the protection device is a listed SPGFCI appropriate for that equipment — not a standard Class A GFCI, which may nuisance-trip.
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