GFCI, AFCI for Furnace
- Thread starter mlnk
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al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
If the area the unit is placed is in an area that requires afci or gfci or both then you must have it protected with either or both. There is no exception that I am aware of.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Most furnaces don't plug in so they would not need gfci however the afci requirement does not depend on plug in units.
romex jockey
Senior Member
- Location
- Vermont
- Occupation
- electrician
I can tell you from experience neither is a good choice for unoccupied 2nd homes.....:happysad:~RJ~
(devils advocate).. Furnace has a factory unit disconnect built-in ad is direct wired with no switch or plug and is in an AFCI required area. Must that circuit be AFCI ?? :
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
(devils advocate).. Furnace has a factory unit disconnect built-in ad is direct wired with no switch or plug and is in an AFCI required area. Must that circuit be AFCI ?? :
I would have to say yes as the connection to a furnace is an outlet, IMO.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
(devils advocate).. Furnace has a factory unit disconnect built-in ad is direct wired with no switch or plug and is in an AFCI required area. Must that circuit be AFCI ?? :
If on a 15 or 20 amp 120 volt circuit then yes.
Generally speaking I'd think a furnace isn't typically going to be allowed in many those rooms per building codes, would at least need to build a closet around it with probably at least a 15 minute finish, but I could be wrong.
That be for a unit heating the whole house, a unit that only heats the space it is in probably is allowed, but AFCI still required if 15/20 amp 120 volt circuit.
GFCI requirements would not apply at all unless you have a cord and plug connected unit, then it depends on which year of NEC applies, especially the past couple cycles which could require GFCI in some instances on 240 volt receptacles or even three phase with under 150 volts to ground.
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
There will be a termination point at which the furnace Branch Circuit conductors end in the connection to the furnace factory unit disconnect. The termination point is the end of the Premises Wiring (System) and the beginning of the wiring of the furnace (Utilization Equipment.) Whether the termination point is set of terminal screws, stab-in connections, or furnace machine tool wire pigtails, or something else similar, the termination point is an Outlet, the point on the wiring system at which current is taken for utilization equipment.
And if it was hardwired from the distribution panel. No box (outlet) !
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Not sure I follow. The point at which the circuit ties into the unit is an outlet. It doesn't have to be a box.
romex jockey
Senior Member
- Location
- Vermont
- Occupation
- electrician
Run it in GRC.....
~RJ~
~RJ~
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
That wouldn't relieve the requirement to use AFCI, just would allow it to be located at the first outlet instead of at the beginning of the branch circuit.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
But in theory it would meet the intent of the code.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
It just omits needing to protect the "home run" with AFCI. Nothing says you can omit AFCI protection for the circuit if there are loads or devices in the rooms mentioned in 210.12(A).
Only exception there is for individual branch circuit supplying a fire alarm system, all other 15-20 amp 120 volt branch circuits must comply regardless of what is supplied. Maybe not what some of us want to hear, but it is what it says.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
Nothing in the code- but GRC protects the conductors from being damaged by an over driven staple.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I don't disagree, still must AFCI protect everything at/beyond the first "outlet" of the circuit according to what is written, or put that appliance and any other switching devices in the lines into a room not mentioned in 210.12(A). If in the living room build a closet around it and then it won't need AFCI.
I never said it made sense.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
A furnace would be an outlet, correct?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
No, it merely receives its power from one. The outlet for a hard-wired furnace would be either the J-box where the wiring emerges from the wall (if there is one) or the end of the wiring that enter's the furnace's wiring compartment.
romex jockey
Senior Member
- Location
- Vermont
- Occupation
- electrician
- Status