08 code question (furnace/residental)

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furnace room or furnace closet ??

furnace room or furnace closet ??

AFCI for the furnace...

Admittedly, I never actually thought of this as a possibility...


Question:

If said furnace is located in a "furnace room" which is accessible from the hallway is this a "furnace room" NOT needing ACFI protection or ...

Is this a "furnace closet" requiring AFCI protection ??


...nothing in my furnace room - closet except the furnace...

...What about outlets in my electrical closet which is accessible from the hallway ?? ... or is this my electrical room ??

We have a definition in the NEC for a "Clothes Closet"... but not a closet...


mweaver
 
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If you call the space that the furnace occupies a utility room then you would not need arc fault protection. I also could argue that if the furnace is direct wired then where is the point on the wiring system where current is taken to supply utilization equipment. The furnace is utilization equipment and thus the point where power is taken is at the switch. Oh but the switch is not an outlet. Have fun.:D
 
Dennis Alwon said:
If you call the space that the furnace occupies a utility room then you would not need arc fault protection.
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I could see an AHJ stating that if it is drywalled, carpeted and painted it is a hall closet requiring AFCI protection.

I am just now realizing how encompassing this new wording is. I've got a new house to start in a month or so, it looks as though I ought to sit down with the prints and get a game plan together before I get there. I never thought I'd do that with a house. :roll:
 
For residential a definition of closet doesexist...

For residential a definition of closet doesexist...

However, within the 2006 IRC (Chapter 2) a definition does exist for closet...


CLOSET: A small room or chamber used for storage.


mweaver
 
charlie said:
Welcome to the Forum!​

So, if a gas furnace is on a 15 ampere branch circuit and is located in the hall closet, does it have to be on an AFCI protected circuit? In my opinion, the answer is yes. :)
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and if its the only thing in the closet would that closet not be a furnace room
 
CtMike,

I believe...

What you are describing sounds a lot like a....

Mechanical Closet !!

...while undefined, the term "mechanical closet" should be self evident :) ...


mewaver
 
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Dennis Alwon said:
If you call the space that the furnace occupies a utility room then you would not need arc fault protection. I also could argue that if the furnace is direct wired then where is the point on the wiring system where current is taken to supply utilization equipment. The furnace is utilization equipment and thus the point where power is taken is at the switch. Oh but the switch is not an outlet. Have fun.:D
Click to expand...

I don't know if your just messing around but the switch is where the current is taken? Seems silly. It seems pretty evident that the point at where the BC terminates to the u-equipment is the outlet.
 
Twoskinsoneman said:
I don't know if your just messing around but the switch is where the current is taken? Seems silly. It seems pretty evident that the point at where the BC terminates to the u-equipment is the outlet.
Click to expand...

What outlet? The switch is not considered an outlet. At least I believe that has been a formal interpretation from many members as well as many articles I have read.
 
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