The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has submitted comments to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) supporting an extension of an exception covering GFCI protection for listed outdoor HVAC equipment in the US. The proposed Tentative Interim Amendment would extend Exception No. 2 to NEC 210.8(F) until September 1, 2028, for the 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions of the National Electrical Code.
ACCA said additional time is needed for laboratory evaluation and field validation of compatibility across HVAC equipment affected by the requirement. Its filing cited an NFPA Standards Council GFCI task group from 2022 that identified unresolved HVAC-specific technical issues and nuisance tripping involving both single-stage and variable-speed equipment.
Research testing cited in the AHRI TIA substantiation found that five of 12 GFCIs tested tripped below the applicable must-hold current above 60 Hz. ACCA said the listing and availability of high-frequency GFCIs represents progress but does not by itself demonstrate compatibility across installed listed HVAC equipment, particularly conventional 60 Hz single-stage systems.
ACCA also cited the Maricopa County Department of Public Health’s 2024 Heat-Related Deaths Report, which recorded 138 indoor heat-related deaths. Air conditioning was present in 88% of those cases; where it was present, the unit was not functioning in 70% of cases and was not in use in another 18%.
“This is not a choice between electrical safety and equipment reliability,” said David Bixby, ACCA Manager of Codes. “The record shows that unintended loss of air conditioning during extreme heat can itself create a serious life-safety risk. The responsible course is to allow the technical work to be completed while preserving a finite path toward the ultimate GFCI solution.”
