AFCI breakers in panel change and move 5 feet

[stew]

The panel I just finished today then is illegal. Old zinsco with 2 melted spots on it installed in the extrior wall of the utility room with a dryer below. obvious 110.26 viollation so I back to back it with a 3r on the exterior wall. Jumpers from the old panel to the new thru a nipple and the old panel with a nice new cover to make a junction box out of it. Dang bet this house is gonna burn down without the afcis it now apparently needs. Not to mention 2 k and t circuits that are mw with a shared neutral. I will still sleep tonite though knowing I did a superb job and wont lose a wink thinking about the 2011. Good thing we in Washington havent adopted the afci requirement or we would be rewiring the whole dang thing just for a nice new panel upgrade.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I wrote a proposal to add an exception. We'll see what they say.

Exception: Where extension of the branch circuit does not include any added outlets or devices

 

[iwire]

Good thing we in Washington havent adopted the afci requirement or we would be rewiring the whole dang thing just for a nice new panel upgrade.

Yeah, as an electrician I hate having to get paid to do electrical work.

 

[iwire]

As far as I am concerned when the code section talks about extensions it is talking about circuit extensions

Lets assume that is true, the code section also says modifications.

where branch-circuit wiring is modified, replaced, or extended, the branch circuit shall be protected by one of the following:

Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

 

[stew]

It may seem cut and dry to some but to me the exact intent of the section is not in my opinion. The exception that Dennis is including clarifies what I think was the original intent of the section and is perfect verbage for the exception.

 

[stew]

It would be interesting to talk to the original panel of code makers on this issue to see what the intent is and if the exception makes the perfect sense it seems to.

 

[Sierrasparky]

It would be interesting to talk to the original panel of code makers on this issue to see what the intent is and if the exception makes the perfect sense it seems to.

Yea that would be great. Does anyone have access to that info?