210.12(B)

[Steve Sink]

1. 210.12(B) Dwelling Unit Bedrooms. All 120-volt single phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit bedrooms shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination type installed to provide protection of the branch circuit.
Branch/feeder AFCIs shall be permitted to be used to meet the requirements of 210.12(B) until January 1, 2008.
2. Proposal recommends: deleted text
3. Proposal: (Words to be deleted in parentheses)
All 120-volt single phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit bedrooms shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination type installed to provide protection of the branch circuit.
Branch/feeder AFCIs shall be permitted to be used to meet the
requirements of 210.12(B) until January 1, 2008.
4. Substantiation: It seems as if there would be a way around putting arc-fault
protection in dwelling unit bedrooms if the branch circuits covered by the Code
only listed 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits. One could get around installing
arc-fault protection simply by installing either a 10- or 30-ampere breaker. If a
30-ampere breaker was installed on the circuit using #14 AWG then the insulation
could break down during a fault and cause a fire. Table 310.16 says that #14
AWG is only good for 20-amperes.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: 210.12(B)

Steve: 14 awg can't be used on a 30 amp breaker. See 240.4(D), 110.14(C) and 334.80.

Also, you can't put most devices on a thirty amp circuit. See 210.23(B), 210.21(B)(2) and table 210.24.

You also can't have a 10 amp branch circuit. See 210.3

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 210.12(B)

Also, 210.52 requires 15 or 20 receptacles to cover the wall space codes.

 

[jwelectric]

Re: 210.12(B)

Mr. Sink
I didn?t see any parentheses so I took the liberty to modify your proposal. I also took the liberty to add a little to your substantiation. There has been some debate in this forum about this matter. To see click here


1. 210.12(B)

2. Proposal recommends: deleted text

3. Proposal: (Words to be deleted in parentheses)
All 120-volt single phase, (15- and 20-ampere) branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit bedrooms shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination type installed to provide protection of the branch circuit.
Branch/feeder AFCIs shall be permitted to be used to meet the requirements of 210.12(B) until January 1, 2008.

4. Substantiation:
It seems as if there would be a way around putting arc-fault
protection in dwelling unit bedrooms if the branch circuits covered by the Code
only listed 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits. One could get around installing
arc-fault protection simply by installing a 10 ampere or 30 ampere breaker. If circuit was installed with #10 conductors there could be box fill problems. A #14 AWG conductor installed on 10 ampere overcurrent device could have duplex receptacles mistakenly installed.
By deleting the words 15 and 20 ampere circuits and requiring all 120 volt circuits to be arc fault protected would alleviate the attempts to get around the protection all together.

[ April 25, 2005, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: jwelectric ]

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 210.12(B)

Originally posted by jwelectric:
If circuit was installed with #10 conductors there could be box fill problems.

So? 314.16 takes care of that.

A #14 AWG conductor installed on 10 ampere overcurrent device could have duplex receptacles mistakenly installed.

Why can't you install duplex receptacles on a 10 amp circuit? That statement is missing the point. The point is, 10 amp receptacles aren't acceptable to 210.52 anyway, so that's not a real loophole.

If someone wants to put a dedicated 10 amp circuit in to feed their smokes, more power to them, IMO. The AFCI's are untrustworthy enough to make that a justifiable "crime," IMO.

Aren't AFCI's going to evolve without our assistance?

 

[crossedwire]

Re: 210.12(B)

good job

 

[Steve Sink]

Re: 210.12(B)

Thanks, jwelectric for catching my mistake.

If I go in and wire a dwelling unit bedroom with #10 wire and use all of the appropriate boxes, so that my box fill calculations come up right, and devices that are rated at 30 amps and protect it with a 30 amp breaker then I could get around the AFCI breaker. Since, 210.12(B) only states that 15 and 20 ampere branch circuits have to be protected with AFCI's.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: 210.12(B)

And who is going to buy this house crammed full of receptacles that they can't use?

Also, how will you satisfy 210.52, considering that it requires 15 or 20 amp circuits?

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 210.12(B)

Maybe two in a row will get it across:

210.52 requires 15 or 20 amp receptacles for wall space codes.

If a thirty amp single phase receptacle is in a bedroom, maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to require that to be AFCI protected. The iron lung might trip it.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: 210.12(B)