A 240V clothes dryer located in a finished basement laundry room requires which protection?

A 240V clothes dryer located in a finished basement laundry room requires which protection?

• A. Arc-fault circuit protection
• B. Neither protection
• C. Both arc-fault and ground-fault protection
• D. Ground-fault circuit protection

Answer: (D)

Ground-fault protection is required here. A laundry area in a basement is a damp location where the risk of electric shock is higher, so any receptacle or circuit supplying a 240V dryer must be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A GFCI continuously monitors the current balance between the hot conductors and the neutral; if there’s any leakage to ground (such as through a person touching a faulty cord in moisture), it trips quickly to shut off power and reduce shock risk. Arc-fault protection helps reduce fire risk from arcing but is not the protection singled out for this location in this scenario, and the exam focuses on GFCI here. If the dryer circuit is hardwired, protection can be provided by a GFCI breaker in the panel.

Ground-fault protection is required here. A laundry area in a basement is a damp location where the risk of electric shock is higher, so any receptacle or circuit supplying a 240V dryer must be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A GFCI continuously monitors the current balance between the hot conductors and the neutral; if there’s any leakage to ground (such as through a person touching a faulty cord in moisture), it trips quickly to shut off power and reduce shock risk. Arc-fault protection helps reduce fire risk from arcing but is not the protection singled out for this location in this scenario, and the exam focuses on GFCI here. If the dryer circuit is hardwired, protection can be provided by a GFCI breaker in the panel.