Arc Fault Circuit Breaker Requirements

Reset an arc fault breaker like you would a standard circuit breaker.

Arc fault circuit breaker requirements.

An arc fault circuit interrupter or afci is required on certain circuits to protect against electrical fires by cutting power when arc faults occur. As of 2017 afci requirements have greatly expanded. Where afci are needed. An afci selectively distinguishes between a harmless arc incidental to normal operation of switches plugs and brushed motors and a potentially dangerous arc that can.

The national electrical code nec requirements for arc fault circuit interrupters afcis have become more stringent with each passing code cycle stirring up much discussion and debate among builders electrical contractors and other professionals involved in home construction. The 2005 edition required combination afcis which respond to both parallel and series arcs for all electrical circuits that supply outlets in bedrooms of new homes. This is simply a matter of locating the circuit s hot wires black red or blue that are connected to the circuit breaker and the circuit s neutral white wire and replacing the circuit breaker in the panel with the afci type. Afci and gfci requirements.

Arc fault circuit interrupters 2017 nec update the 2017 nec update has increased the requirements for arc fault circuit interrupters afcis. Afci in main panel. An arc fault circuit interrupter afci also known as an arc fault detection device afdd is a circuit breaker that breaks the circuit when it detects an electric arc in the circuit it protects to prevent electrical fires. Solve an afci tripping problem.

Nfpa 70 national electrical code nec first required arc fault circuit interrupters afcis in the 1999 edition. Before 2008 afcis were only required to protect bedrooms. With ever changing electrical code requirements a circuit breaker with the ability to provide both arc fault protection as well as ground fault gfci protection was long overdue. You ll find afcis in the main electrical panel or a subpanel.

So where are arc fault breakers required for 2017. Use afci circuit breakers to add arc fault protection to the entire length of existing circuits. But beware the combination function that is identified on recently. Eaton offers code compliant electrical safety devices including arc fault circuit interrupters that reduce the risk of fire to ground fault circuit interrupter cable assemblies receptacles and portable gfci kits that help protect against.

Afci arc fault circuit interrupter requirements for homes the arc fault circuit interrupter is designed to turn off an electrical circuit when an arc is detected that can lead to a fire or other hazardous conditions within the range of the protection that the afci is able to detect. Help create safer living spaces and provide valuable electrical safety and protection by understanding the requirements for afci and gfci protection. A combination arc fault circuit breaker is not equivalent to a dual function circuit breaker.