WR rated zwave outlets?

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

Wondering if anyone has seen a WR rated ZWAVE 15 or 20 amp outlet?

Had a major wiring install project in the back yard using these http://www.amazon.com/Arlington-GPD19B-1-Gard-N-Post-Landscape-Lighting/dp/B003O85DEI

The county inspector is calling for WR rated outlets, even though they will be in the Arlington enclosure above.

Option 1: I can install WR rated outlets, then change them to the Enerwave ZW20R I bought after the inspection passes.

Option 2: try to sell the outlets I bought above, and just connect a GE Outdoor unit into each of the posts above…

wondering if anyone has seen a WR rated zwave outlet, I have not.

Thanks!

2

There is no wet rated z-wave in-wall outlet that I have ever seen.

I also don’t think I ever saw a Wet Rated normal outlet either. I think the only wet rated outlet is a GFCI outlet (but I could be mistaken) which doesn’t come in Z-wave.

What I have for all my outdoor outlets is GFCI Breaker handling the outdoor outlets I have installed. Your other option is to install a GFCI outlet up stream in the wiring of your z-wave outlets. This would cover or put everything down stream (if wired to do so) to be GFCI protected from that one outlet that maybe in a location you don’t need a z-wave outlet.

Would be like this example.

3

There are no WR(Weather Resistant) Z-Wave outlets, yet.

@integlikewhoa offers a good option, using a GFCI circuit breaker, but that’s not the same thing. If your local electrical code requires WR receptacles, then that is what you should use and I would recommend against swapping them out post inspection.

If your inspector is a private inspector, such as those used during the sale of the house, I would ignore him completely or swap the receptacles out after the fact. But, if the inspector is an official government code inspector I would not. I’d instead ask him if there was some alternative that would meet code, such as the GFCI breaker.

4

ouch :o

it is the county inspector, and the entire circuit is on a 20 amp GFCI breaker at the shed sub panel. Thanks all, I will make sure I am around for the final inspoection, and hope I can convince hime between the covered post, and the entire circuit being on the 20 amp GFCI breaker, if that will suffice.

5

[quote=“MrAutomate, post:4, topic:192557”]ouch :o

it is the county inspector, and the entire circuit is on a 20 amp GFCI breaker at the shed sub panel. Thanks all, I will make sure I am around for the final inspoection, and hope I can convince him between the covered post, and the entire circuit being on the 20 amp GFCI breaker, if that will suffice.[/quote]

I would hope your good, but please follow up post inspection and let us know how it went. From a safety stand point I think you got the main base covered as the outdoor outlets are on GFCI to protect anyone from getting a shocking experience.

6

Will do…Thanks all

7

A quick follow-up on this post. County required gfci breaker, obviously , and all nine outlet posts in the woods had to have WR outlets, absurd, the post has an in use cover, if water gets in, it runs out to the woods , nothing will get damaged. I can understand on a structure, but these none outlets are in a covered plastic post. I promptly replaced them after inspection with my 20 amp zwave outlets . If water damages these in 25 years, so be it. Signal is good with the nine outlets, 20-40 feet Apart, devices in the shed(aeon repeater, powers strip help as well)

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8

I solved a similar problem by using
A Remotec ZWave Dry Contact Fixture Module ahead of a GFCI both in a weather rated box. I made sure the Ground is solid and tested the GFCI several times a week for the first month

9

How do you like that device ? That can be a momentary device , is that right? I have a mimo lite as a doorbell trigger, on indigo, and I get false doorbell rings, drives the dogs nuts!

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10

Re-reading this thread, I don’t understand my initial answer saying not to swap them out.

I see no safety problem with what you did, swapping them out after inspection, other than it not meeting code. Your present setup would have met National Electric Code(NEC) requirements up until 2012, when they started requiring WR.

I think your expected receptacle lifetime of 25 years might be overly optimistic, but who knows/cares?

11

HI,

Just a comment regarding WR outlets. Note: I have no direct knowledge of the NEC reasoning.

I’ve worked in the automotive industry (OEM new product design) for many years. There electrical connections are a constant cause of failures. Although many of the failures are vibration induced, moisture corrosion is still a significant part of the failure rate. I suspect the WR receptacles use alternate materials / plating to resist corrosion in damp location an outside receptacle is likely to experience.

If that is the case both the GFCI and breaker is needed to mitigate a corrosion fault. I personally would use the smallest breaker I could find, unless your application requires the 20 Amps being discussed.

JohnRob