Arc-Fault again

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cowboyjwc

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Location
Simi Valley, CA
What if the laundry area is a 6x8 space and on one wall it has a wash sink in the middle with a washer on one side and a dryer on the other?

Not all apartments are cracker boxes.

I have four buildings we are doing right now and they have both depending on the size of the unit. If it has a sink then it get's a GFCI and no arc-fault required.

But changing the senerio doesn't answer my question.
 
I have four buildings we are doing right now and they have both depending on the size of the unit. If it has a sink then it get's a GFCI and no arc-fault required.

But changing the senerio doesn't answer my question.

Sorry cowboy, just givin' ya a hard time. It is funny, why the use of arc faults?? Well, to detect when a parallel or series fault occurs at some point within the circuit. Ground fault interrupters do not detect these, and yet there is no requirement for having AFCI in these locations. But there is still a likelihood that an arc fault could and would take place in these areas. And would go completely unnoticed. So if the intent is 'safety' by which the AFCI adds a certain level of(depending on who you speak to of course :cool:), then it would be 'wise' to Arc fault any and all areas that are within a dwelling unit.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Sorry cowboy, just givin' ya a hard time. It is funny, why the use of arc faults?? Well, to detect when a parallel or series fault occurs at some point within the circuit. Ground fault interrupters do not detect these, and yet there is no requirement for having AFCI in these locations. But there is still a likelihood that an arc fault could and would take place in these areas. And would go completely unnoticed. So if the intent is 'safety' by which the AFCI adds a certain level of(depending on who you speak to of course :cool:), then it would be 'wise' to Arc fault any and all areas that are within a dwelling unit.

With that line of logic there is a possiblilty of an arcing fault in any installation and they should be required everywhere. The reasons the places where the protection is chosen is probably not all that simple, and is probably somewhat just a way of easing these devices into the code. GFCI's had less required places when first introduced also.
 
With that line of logic there is a possiblilty of an arcing fault in any installation and they should be required everywhere. The reasons the places where the protection is chosen is probably not all that simple, and is probably somewhat just a way of easing these devices into the code. GFCI's had less required places when first introduced also.

Absolutely agree!
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Sorry cowboy, just givin' ya a hard time. It is funny, why the use of arc faults?? Well, to detect when a parallel or series fault occurs at some point within the circuit. Ground fault interrupters do not detect these, and yet there is no requirement for having AFCI in these locations. But there is still a likelihood that an arc fault could and would take place in these areas. And would go completely unnoticed. So if the intent is 'safety' by which the AFCI adds a certain level of(depending on who you speak to of course :cool:), then it would be 'wise' to Arc fault any and all areas that are within a dwelling unit.

There ya go and I don't mind the hard time.:p

To be honest, I don't require them there either, I just like to stir the pot from time to time to see what happens. Now to claify that real quick, if everyone said they were required, then I would start requiring them too.

I would like a better list for arc-faults in the code. I'd make it identical to 210.8 or simply say that if a GFCI is not required then and AFCI is.
 
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