A 20-A, 240-V receptacle located in a finished basement laundry room requires which protections?

A 20-A, 240-V receptacle located in a finished basement laundry room requires which protections?

• A. GFCI Protection
• B. Tamper-Resistant
• C. Neither
• D. Both

Answer: (D)

Basements are considered damp locations, and laundry areas can be exposed to moisture, so a receptacle in that space must have GFCI protection to reduce shock risk from ground faults. In dwelling units, receptacles must also be tamper-resistant to prevent objects from being inserted into the slots, which is especially important in areas where households with children might access outlets. A 20-A, 240-V receptacle still falls under this tamper-resistant requirement because it is a 20-A device, and the GFCI protection requirement is based on location (damp basement) rather than voltage. So, both protections are required: a GFCI-protected receptacle and tamper-resistant construction. You can meet this by using a 20-A tamper-resistant receptacle that is GFCI-protected, or by using a GFCI breaker with downstream tamper-resistant receptacles.

Basements are considered damp locations, and laundry areas can be exposed to moisture, so a receptacle in that space must have GFCI protection to reduce shock risk from ground faults. In dwelling units, receptacles must also be tamper-resistant to prevent objects from being inserted into the slots, which is especially important in areas where households with children might access outlets. A 20-A, 240-V receptacle still falls under this tamper-resistant requirement because it is a 20-A device, and the GFCI protection requirement is based on location (damp basement) rather than voltage. So, both protections are required: a GFCI-protected receptacle and tamper-resistant construction. You can meet this by using a 20-A tamper-resistant receptacle that is GFCI-protected, or by using a GFCI breaker with downstream tamper-resistant receptacles.