AFCI In Bathroom….

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Seven-Delta-FortyOne

Seven-Delta-FortyOne

Goin’ Down In Flames........
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Humboldt
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EC and GC
I know, I’m late to this party, but California is just about to adopt the 2022 CEC, which is based on the 2020 NEC.

Code book hasn’t shown up yet, just the Ugly’s. Looks like AFCI is still not required in bathrooms?

Im certainly not complaining, but if they are so necessary, why are they exempted from baths?
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
I know, I’m late to this party, but California is just about to adopt the 2022 CEC, which is based on the 2020 NEC.

Code book hasn’t shown up yet, just the Ugly’s. Looks like AFCI is still not required in bathrooms?

Im certainly not complaining, but if they are so necessary, why are they exempted from baths?
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Plug in a 1200w hairdryer into a AF, then yank the plug out while dryer is still running.

Or, maybe GFCI works a-ok everywhere and the whole AF crud was an experiment gone sour?
Or, not sure, maybe std GF's actually work better around water than does the AF units?
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
why are they exempted from baths?
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Imo, the reason is for safety of the individual who may be in the shower at night and the afci trips. Think of granny in the shower (well don't really think about that to hard) and grandpa isn't home. For some reason the afci trips and now granny is stuck in the shower in totally darkness.

I am guessing it is because of situations like that but it is just a guess.
 
AFCIs were intended for bedrooms when first introduced in the NEC 20+ years ago.
Justification was that’s were a lot of time is spent.
 
I’m certainly not complaining, just surprised they haven’t Ram-rodded it down our throats yet.

I personally would like to see AFCI requirements removed, unless and until the technology catches up to their intended purpose.

GFCIs, on the other hand, I have no issue with at all.
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Im certainly not complaining, but if they are so necessary, why are they exempted from baths?
Click to expand...
I am not complaining either but have wondered this. I have accepted that trying to find any logic or consistency with AFCI is not possible. Yeah what about the bathroom circuit that passes thru the bedroom wall and gets a nail on it and arcs (in a fantasy world where they actually work of course)??
 
The most curious part for me is on remodel wiring. I know all the original wiring is "OK" as long as it was code compliant at the time it was installed.

But I try to wrap my mind around the idea that newly installed wiring is so inherently unsafe that it must have afci protection everywhere, but apparently that old janky crap with cloth sheath or twist-and-tape connections doesn't pose any danger of arcing

That's just retarded, imho.

Back when afci was introduced, it was bedroom receptacles. The "why" was explained that if someone used an electric blanket, kicking and squirming under it could cause element damage and arc fires.

I can appreciate that thinking, but I always wondered.....if the great concern is an electric blanket catching on fire, why not just require an arc fault device on the end of the cord?
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Looks like AFCI is still not required in bathrooms?
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Laborer shops refusing to hire skills to connect breakers with pigtails, much less get AFCI working, have succeeded in amending out AFCI's in several states.

If NFPA attempts to expand AFCI use, those States under the influence of this Chamber of Commerce lobby could see States adopt the IRC, and dump NFPA-70 completely.
 
For the homes we wire almost all bath lighting gets connected to an AFCI since there are usually outlets in other rooms connected to the same circuit.

If we are installing Lutron receptacles they get fed from a DF breaker.
 
I look at it this way - if AFCIs truly provided the safety that is claimed, they should have been implemented everywhere from the beginning. The fact that that they have been slowly wedged into the code only furthers my skepticism.

“Let’s increase the requirements as fast as we can without inciting an outright revolt.”
 
curt swartz said:
For the homes we wire almost all bath lighting gets connected to an AFCI since there are usually outlets in other rooms connected to the same circuit.
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Existing outlet replacements in bedrooms, per 406.4(D)(4), can load feed bathrooms without issue, at half the cost of AFCI breakers. If existing bath has first opening, a Dual Function replacement can load feed thru bedrooms without issue, unless life-support equipment is in use.
 
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