Got a call today to look at installing 3 20A dedicated circuits to what is now an existing 2nd floor bedroom.Owner would like to turn the room into a "music studio". Would AFCI protection be required if the room no longer serves as a bedroom? The cost of the breakers is not an issue, my bigger concern was the fact that he will be using alot of antiquated sound equipment from the 50's and 60's which he tells me is "tube type". Anybody here see an issue with this vintage equipment causing problems with the AFCI breakers?
AFCI requirement??
- Thread starter nizak
- Start date
- Status
Not really sure where you are located, but here in TN AFCI's are only required in bedrooms. IMO I would say that if the room has a closet, then they would be required, but of course that would be up to the AHJ
kennydmeek
Member
- Location
- Frederick MD
As of 2011 you pretty near have to put them on everything that doesn't require a GFI(resi). Haven't heard of issues with old gear..
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
Where are you located and which NEC/IRC applies? Whether the equipment will trip an AFCI is not relevant, what is: whether you have to provide such protection.
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
For new construction the definition of a bedroom that I use is : Any room that has a closet,
a window that opens, & a door. A room with a cased opening is not a bedroom IMHO
a window that opens, & a door. A room with a cased opening is not a bedroom IMHO
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
I like this.:thumbsup:
For new construction, wouldn't you consider a room a bedroom if that's what the plan called it?
kennydmeek
Member
- Location
- Frederick MD
Nah. It's got to meet the above criteria. Realtors have to be careful when they're advertising bedrooms that way too...
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
You called it a bedroom. Changing how you 'use' it does not change that fact that it is a bedroom! If it has AFCIs for it now would you remove them if you changed the use?
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
If the definition of bedroom applies then the requirements for smokes & AFCI apply.
Have wired rooms in finished basements that may be used for sleeping, but have no window.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I am in Michigan, too. The MRC does not have a definition for bedroom. Neither does the NEC. I see that there are posters here that have made up their own definition.
Webster says a bedroom is 'a room furnished with a bed and intended primarily for sleeping'. Other on line dictionaries are similar, the key word being, 'furnished'.
Is a music studio a 'room furnished with a bed and intended primarily for sleeping'? Of course not, therefore it is not a bedroom.
Closet or not, door or not, that is moot. I have a bedroom upstairs that has neither. But, so long as it has a bed and is intended for sleeping, it's a bedroom. Across the hall I have a room with a closet and a door but it is used as a library. It is not a bedroom.
Webster says a bedroom is 'a room furnished with a bed and intended primarily for sleeping'. Other on line dictionaries are similar, the key word being, 'furnished'.
Is a music studio a 'room furnished with a bed and intended primarily for sleeping'? Of course not, therefore it is not a bedroom.
Closet or not, door or not, that is moot. I have a bedroom upstairs that has neither. But, so long as it has a bed and is intended for sleeping, it's a bedroom. Across the hall I have a room with a closet and a door but it is used as a library. It is not a bedroom.
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
303.1 Habitable rooms.
All habitable rooms shall be pro-vided with aggregate glazing area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area of such rooms. Natural ventilation shall be through windows, doors, louvers or other approved openings to the outdoor air. Such openings shall be provided with ready access or shall otherwise be readily controllable by the building occupants. The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be 4 percent of the floor area being ventilated.
310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Every sleeping room shall have at least one openable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where emergency escape and rescue openings are provided they shall have a sill height of not more than 44 inches (1118 mm) above the floor. Where a door opening having a threshold below the adjacent ground elevation serves as an emergency escape and rescue opening and is provided with a bulkhead enclosure, the bulkhead enclosure shall comply with Section 310.3. The net clear opening dimensions required by this section shall be obtained by the normal operation of the emergency escape and rescue opening form the inside. Emergency escape and rescue openings with a finished sill height below the adjacent ground elevation shall be provided with a window well in accordance with Section 310.2.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Where are you located? That makes a big difference. I am in Indiana. We don't need afci at all.
He's up here in Michigan where it's safe.
(I got to work in Indiana for a couple weeks at Mittal plant 2)
- Status