Florida Change to FBC Residential Chapter 34 Electrical

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Essentially, Florida does not have a Chapter 34 of the FBC Residential as it simply points to the 2020 NEC now that we are in the 8th Edition of the 2023 FBC. There was one entry in Chapter 34 worth mentioning.
Here is what the 2020 NEC says:

210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel.
Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (F). The ground-fault circuit interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.
Informational Note No. 1:
See 215.9 for ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel on feeders.
Informational Note No. 2:
See 422.5(A) for GFCI requirements for appliances.
Informational Note No. 3:
See 555.9 for GFCI requirements for boat hoists.
Informational Note No. 4:
Additional GFCI requirements for specific circuits and equipment are contained in Chapters 4, 5, and 6.

For the purposes of this section, when determining the distance from receptacles the distance shall be measured as the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing a floor, wall, ceiling, or fixed barrier, or the shortest path without passing through a window.

(F) Outdoor Outlets.
All outdoor outlets for dwellings, other than those covered in 210.8(A)(3), Exception to (3), that are supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts to ground or less, 50 amperes or less, shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.
Exception No. 1:
Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection shall not be required on lighting outlets other than those covered in 210.8(C).
Exception No. 2:
Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection shall not be required for listed HVAC equipment. This exception shall expire September 1, 2026.


Here is what the FBC Residential says:

E3408.1​

NFPA 70-20: National Electric Code, Article 210 (Branch Circuits), Section 210.8, Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel, is amended to read as follows:

• 210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (F). The ground-fault circuit-interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.

Items (A) through (E) unchanged.

• (F) Outdoor Outlets. All outdoor outlets for dwellings, other than those covered in 210.8(A)(3), Exception to (3) that are supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts to ground or less, 50 amperes or less, shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.
  • Exception No. 1: Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection shall not be required on lighting outlets other than those covered in 210.8(C).
  • Exception No. 2: GFCI protection shall not be required for listed and labeled HVAC equipment.
  • Informational Note: See UL 60335-2-40, Household And Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-40: Particular Requirements for Electrical Heat Pumps, Air-Conditioners and Dehumidifiers or UL 1995, Heating and Cooling Equipment for product safety standards.(1)

 

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Comparing the National Electrical Code (NEC) 210.8 section with the corresponding Florida Building Code (FBC) section on Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter (GFCI) Protection for Personnel reveals that they are largely similar, with some slight variations in their presentation and additional notes.

1. Overall Requirements: Both the NEC and FBC specify that GFCI protection for personnel shall be provided as required in subsections 210.8(A) through (F), and that the GFCI must be installed in a readily accessible location.
2. Outdoor Outlets: Both codes require that all outdoor outlets for dwellings, covered by the specific criteria mentioned, must have GFCI protection.
3. Exceptions: Both codes have the same exceptions. Exception No. 1 relates to not requiring GFCI protection on certain lighting outlets, and Exception No. 2 relates to listed and labeled HVAC equipment. However, the NEC specifies that Exception No. 2 shall expire on September 1, 2026, whereas the FBC does not mention an expiration date for this exception.
4. Informational Notes: The NEC includes several informational notes about where else in the code GFCI requirements can be found, such as for feeders, appliances, and boat hoists. The FBC, in the section you provided, does not include these notes but adds a note referencing UL standards related to the safety of electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners, and dehumidifiers.

In summary, the primary difference lies in the additional informational notes provided in the NEC and the expiration date for the exception regarding HVAC equipment, which is mentioned in the NEC but not in the FBC. The core requirements for GFCI protection, however, remain consistent between the two codes.

 

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Exception No. 2: GFCI protection shall not be required for listed and labeled HVAC equipment.

That exception does not appear in the NEC until the 2023 version is adopted. That will most likely not happen until 01-01-2026. If the exception expires in 09-01-2026 the exception will be enforced for nine months in much of the country.
What is the rational for the exception? My first thought is that the HVAC manufacturers' need time to develop equipment that plays well with GFCI.