Since “WR” receptacles are required on exterior of residences, can I still install standard receptacles on the load side?
Can standard receptacles be installed downstream of water-resistant GFCI receptacles
gfciweather-resistant
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Best Answer
There are two different issues involved here:
The key is that the GFCI can be provided:
What is your actual sequence of receptacles, lights or other devices from breaker on out? Even though the "sequence" is technically a "tree", very often you have one string of cables connected (via pigtails or devices) - essentially one long sequence of devices.
There is a big advantage to putting the GFCI protection indoors. While WR will help quite a bit, nothing beats "inside a temperature controlled dry environment".
If this is a new installation (as opposed to replacement/upgrade) then try and plan your wiring so that you have an indoor receptacle prior to the first outdoor receptacle. Fit a GFCI at the last indoor receptacle and wire the outdoor receptacle from the LOAD connections. This will also work if this is a replacement/upgrade situation and there happens to be an indoor receptacle prior to the first outdoor receptacle.
If there are no indoor receptacles then you can either add one - but that would be extra work, use a GFCI breaker (not always an option, depending on the existing breaker panel) or install a WR GFCI receptacle. If you install a WR GFCI receptacle and it is the only receptacle on the circuit that needs protection (i.e., the receptacles following it are indoors and not in laundry room, garage, etc.) then you can use LOAD for the following receptacles or you can pigtail the wires going to the following receptacles to the LINE side. That doesn't provide GFCI protection, which means that a GFCI trip on the outdoor receptacle won't affect the other receptacles.
The one thing you almost always do NOT want to do is to install additional GFCI receptacles in one circuit. That costs more without providing additional protection. Either use standard on LOAD (protected) or standard pigtailed to LINE (not protected, but perfectly code compliant for many locations).