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McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
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What is the minimum height for an exterior receptacle outlet?
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
The National Electric Code (NEC) now requires a minimum of two exterior receptacles for a home, located at the front and back and usually on the wall of the house, and they must be GFCI-protected for shock prevention and have an in-use or weatherproof cover. The required receptacles cannot be higher than six foot six inches (6’-6”). But there is no minimum height requirement and additional receptacles beyond the two required can be higher than the six foot six inches maximum.
The receptacle located on the ground, in the photo above, is obviously not a good idea. A height of a least one foot off the ground would have been better, but there is no code requirement we know of that mandates a minimum height.
Also, see our blog post What is a "while-in-use" weatherproof electrical receptacle outlet cover?
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To learn more about electrical wiring, devices, and receptacles, see these other blog posts:
• What is the difference between what trips a GFCI (ground fault) receptacle and a circuit breaker?
• What is the code requirement for GFCI protection for receptacles near a wet bar sink?
• Why is an opening in the wall around the side of an electrical receptacle outlet a safety defect?
• When was GFCI-protection for kitchen dishwasher receptacle outlet first required?
• What is allowable voltage range at a wall receptacle outlet in a house?
• When should I replace electric receptacle outlets?
• Does an electric receptacle outlet in a storage shed require GFCI protection?
• What are "self-contained" electrical receptacle outlets and switches?
• What is the difference between an electrical receptacle, an outlet, and a plug?
• Does a washing machine receptacle outlet require GFCI protection?
• What is the building code requirement for receptacle outlets at stairs and stair landings?
• Can I remove a 240-volt range receptacle and hard-wire the range?
• What is a "backstab" receptacle outlet?
• Why are some electric receptacle outlets upside down (ground slot up) in a house?
Visit our ELECTRICAL page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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