Oven

[winnie]

You make a good point, and I would not want to end up mandating low prices.

I was suggesting that the code requirement be predicated on the safety equipment being available at a reasonable price.

Say, for example, that you come up with a next generation AFCI that is not only reliable, but will detect faults, identify their location, and call the electrician and report the unsafe condition.

Instead of mandating this technology as soon as it works, the code would say 'this new fancy donkey breaker will be mandated as soon as it is available in distribution at a price less then X'. If manufacturers can't get the price down, then it isn't mandated to use the thing. If one manufacturer can sell it for <X but the others all have to sell it at 1.5X, then it would still be mandated (because it is available for an acceptable price) but customers could still chose the more expensive version if the quality is worth it to them.

Today you can buy standard 5-15R receptacles for $0.49 or $15. The availability of cheap versions doesn't eliminate the higher quality expensive version.

-Jon

 

[kwired]

You make a good point, and I would not want to end up mandating low prices.

I was suggesting that the code requirement be predicated on the safety equipment being available at a reasonable price.

Say, for example, that you come up with a next generation AFCI that is not only reliable, but will detect faults, identify their location, and call the electrician and report the unsafe condition.

Instead of mandating this technology as soon as it works, the code would say 'this new fancy donkey breaker will be mandated as soon as it is available in distribution at a price less then X'. If manufacturers can't get the price down, then it isn't mandated to use the thing. If one manufacturer can sell it for <X but the others all have to sell it at 1.5X, then it would still be mandated (because it is available for an acceptable price) but customers could still chose the more expensive version if the quality is worth it to them.

Today you can buy standard 5-15R receptacles for $0.49 or $15. The availability of cheap versions doesn't eliminate the higher quality expensive version.

-Jon

Won't work. Look at how AFCI's got into code in the first place. Had they not been a requirement they would not sell very many and as a result the price would be even higher than it is. Many of us did not like the fact we had to spend 5+ times the price for a branch breaker that we didn't even know if it did what the makers claimed it would do, but code forced us to use them any way.