- Q.In a bathroom remodel, we
plan to install a light fixture in a shower stall, with
a switch near the shower door. Do the fixture and
switch need to be GFCI-protected?
A.Master electrician Sean
Kenney responds: The short answer is yes.
Although the NEC does not require either
the switch or the light fixture to be
GFCI-protected, most lighting fixtures designed for
use in a shower stall require GFCI protection to
meet UL requirements. Providing GFCI protection for
a switch within reach of a shower stall is a good
safety practice, even when not required by
code.
It’s worth consulting your local
inspector before you locate a switch within reach
of a shower stall. Even though the NEC
allows such an installation, two inspectors have
made me move switches so they were out of reach of
the shower stall.