AFCI protection for electric fireplace/heater in residential bedroom?

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racerdave3

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I have a customer that wants to install those electric fireplace heater units in the bedrooms in their home. These units are 1500 watt units and I plan to drop a dedicated circuit with single receptacle to each unit. My question is do these have to also have AFCI protection, even though they are heating units and dedicated to just that equipment? :-?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Article 210.12(B) does not seem to give an exception for fireplaces or heaters. If it is 120 volt you need an AFCI
 

Jim W in Tampa

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Tampa Florida
See if perhaps they could be ordered in 240 volts.If on its own circuit an afci breaker should be ok without much tripping.This is another case where they didnt think the code out.240 is ok but 120 needs afci
 

charlie b

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Does the equipment have an option of hard wiring? If so, and if you wire it that way, no AFCI would be needed.
 

Cavie

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SW Florida
Hard wireing does not get you off the hook. ALL 120 vot circuits in the bedroom MUST be on AFC. Not just the recepticals. This includes the Smokes. Look up the definition of "outlets"
 

charlie b

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Cavie said:
Hard wireing does not get you off the hook. ALL 120 vot circuits in the bedroom MUST be on AFC. Not just the recepticals.
But if the hard wiring takes place within the walls, and if the outlet box's cover plate is on the other side of the wall from the bedroom side, the outlet is not "in the bedroom."
 

dlhoule

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Location
Michigan
I agree with Charles E. Beck. However I would probably install the AFCI, given the difference in cost and in most cases I think these heaters would be on an outside wall. I'd hate to have to go outside on a cold day to do any troubleshooting.:smile:
 

Cavie

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Charles, there most likley is a Switch or thermostat in the bedroom side. some sort of control or disconect. Gotcha AFC.
 

roger

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Cavie, switches and many line voltage thermostats are not outlets. Now, just for spite, I would use a relay and a low voltage (12 or 24v) control source, no AFCI. :wink:

Roger
 
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charlie b

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Cavie said:
But the fire place IS an outlet!
I disagree with this (Sorry Roger). The fire place (or to be more precise the electric heating thingy installed in the space that is commonly called a "fire place") is utilization equipment. The outlet is the point at which wires from the utilization equipment are joined with wires from the premises wiring system. That will be in an outlet box somewhere in or on a wall. If that outlet box is located in (i.e., can be opened by a person standing in) the bedroom, then you do have to have AFCI protection for that entire circuit.
 

jack horner

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charlie b said:

But if the hard wiring takes place within the walls, and if the outlet box's cover plate is on the other side of the wall from the bedroom side, the outlet is not "in the bedroom."
I like the way he thinks. This is very crafty but there is an outlet still on the fireplace so AFCI protection is still required.
 

roger

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Charlie, no need to apologize, I like your reasoning.

Roger
 
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