2-wire receptacle

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chrisausti

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i have an older home, which at the time it was built, was wired with 2-wire romex.All rec's are 2-wire. Doing an upgrade on the home, to grounding type receptacles.All rec's that have been changed are either gfi, or have been fed by a gfi breaker. Heres my question, the code requires the new afci in all bedrooms. I have searched the code book and can find no ref, to the rec's in the bedroom, being allowed to be grounding type if i use an afci....thanks for any help......
 
I am not sure I understand the question. The code requires all receptacles to be of the grounding type. It gives exceptions for replacement of existing ungrounded receptacle, and you have used that exception. But when AFCI breakers are installed to serve all outlets in bedrooms, the receptacle outlets are going to be of the grounded type.

If you are asking about feeding a GFCI receptacle from an AFCI breaker, that is not a problem.
 
thanks for the reply, you answered my question with the afci being used on a gfi rec......i was concerned that these two might have a conflict being used together.......thanks
 
charlie b said:
But when AFCI breakers are installed to serve all outlets in bedrooms, the receptacle outlets are going to be of the grounded type.
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. . .So. . . . . .If I install an AFCI breaker in a panel in an existing single family dwelling, and I use that AFCI breaker to protect the two conductors of existing ungrounded NM (two conductors only, no EGC), then it is your take that any 15 or 20 A 125 V receptacles on the branch circuit must be "grounded type"?
 
al hildenbrand said:
. . . then it is your take that any 15 or 20 A 125 V receptacles on the branch circuit must be "grounded type"?
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It is my take that all such receptacles must be of the ?grounded type,? regardless of where they are in the home or whether they are on an AFCI circuit. As I mentioned above, however, there are exceptions related to the replacement of existing ungrounded receptacles.
 
Soo. . . .The grounded type must be installed except when they are not installed. . . .
 
250.114(3) has particular application.

Even though all the receptacles have been changed out to grounded type and they are all given GFCI protection, if there is no actual equipment ground conductor connected to the grounded terminal of the receptacle, then a number of cord and plug devices can't use those receptacles.
250.114 Equipment Connected by Cord and Plug

Under any of the conditions described in 250.114(1) through (4), exposed non–current-carrying metal parts of cord-and-plug-connected equipment likely to become energized shall be grounded.

Exception: Listed tools, listed appliances, and listed equipment covered in 250.114(2) through (4) shall not be required to be grounded where protected by a system of double insulation or its equivalent. Double insulated equipment shall be distinctively marked.



(3) In residential occupancies:

a. Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners

b. Clothes-washing, clothes-drying, dish-washing machines; kitchen waste disposers; information technology equipment; sump pumps and electrical aquarium equipment

c. Hand-held motor-operated tools, stationary and fixed motor-operated tools, light industrial motor-operated tools

d. Motor-operated appliances of the following types: hedge clippers, lawn mowers, snow blowers, and wet scrubbers

e. Portable handlamps


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I would argue that it is better to leave the 2 wire receptacles as such, replace the worn ones with new 2 wire receptacles, use GFCI protection if you wish, and work equipment ground conductors to the locations that serve items listed above.
 
Occasionally, I get a request for a price to "rewire the whole house" to make the receptacles grounded. I invariably suggest just running a new circuit for the equipment that needs grounding instead of attempting to ground existing receptacles.

For one thing, it's easier to snake a new NM into a 2x4" hole than a #14 green to a knockout in an old metal box.
 
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