210.12 Dwelling Unit 2020 NEC

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Leespark57

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Boston, MA, USA
The 2020 NEC now requires AFCI protection for "all 120 volt, single phase, 15 and 20 amp branch circuits, supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling units". The definition of a dwelling unit is "A single unit, providing complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation."

My question is, would an unfinished basement in a single family home be considered part of the dwelling unit? If so, things like a 120 volt furnace or boiler or a sump pump receptacle would require AFCI protection. I can foresee this becoming a major issue if nuisance trips occur.
 
There was no change in the 2020 code as far as what branch circuits require AFCI protection. While there were attempts to require AFCI protection for all 15 and 20 amp, 120 volt circuits, those attempts failed. On the circuits that supply outlets in the specified rooms require AFCI protection. Basements are not in the list of rooms.
 
Thanks Don
Ok this is strange. That is what I thought, but my 2020 Handbook 210.12(A) says all branch circuits in a dwelling unit. It must be a misprint, and a major one at that. I actually went to the NFPA bookstore to pick it up last month, they will be getting a call tomorrow.

Having said that, here in Mass we have an amendment to 210.12 which does require AFCI for all 120 volt branch circuits in a dwelling unit, so the question remains. Would you consider an unfinished basement to be part of the dwelling unit?
 

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Well given that he is in Massachusetts, AFCI is required in all areas of a dwelling through State Amendment...even the furnace. My oil burner has been on a Square-D AFCI breaker since 2014 without any false tripping... zero problem. See in 2014, language added "devices" and usually the emergency switch is in the kitchen or hallway so technically it must have AFCI. I did this for personal testing to see if it would be an issue.

Only circuit that won't need AFCI, is the circuit for a fire alarm system.

But be happy, Mass deleted 210.8(F) which requires GFCI on outdoor outlets!
 
shortcircuit2 said:
Absolutely
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I would disagree as a basement is not on the list. If it was finished basement then the rooms down there could be a Living Rooms, bedrooms etc and then they would need afci


All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A)(1) through (6):
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Below is the 2020 Massachusetts Amendment...

210.12(A). Revise the parent text to read as follows:

All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling units shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A)(1) through (A)(6).
 
shortcircuit2 said:
But watch out for the Mass amendment on pool perimeter bonding methods...as 680.26(B)(2)(b) (Copper Ring) is not allowed for inground pools.
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That is one they got correct and the NEC did not. The technical substantiation very clearly showed that the copper ring is not effective.
 
Leespark57 said:
Thanks Don
Ok this is strange. That is what I thought, but my 2020 Handbook 210.12(A) says all branch circuits in a dwelling unit. It must be a misprint, and a major one at that. I actually went to the NFPA bookstore to pick it up last month, they will be getting a call tomorrow.

Having said that, here in Mass we have an amendment to 210.12 which does require AFCI for all 120 volt branch circuits in a dwelling unit, so the question remains. Would you consider an unfinished basement to be part of the dwelling unit?
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They may have written the handbook early. There was a motion to require all circuits to have AFCI protection that was accepted by a huge majority floor vote at the NFPA meeting. However when that went back to the code making panel, it did not receive the required 2/3s vote and therefor reverted back to the language in the 2017.
If the MA amendment says all dwelling unit circuits, in my opinion, the basement is part of the dwelling unit.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
That is one they got correct and the NEC did not. The technical substantiation very clearly showed that the copper ring is not effective.
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I totally agree.

I actually installed a Copper Grid on a pool reconstruction job in 2005 when the rule was first promulgated. I ordered a 100' roll 2-feet wide made by Harger Products. The pool was basically rectangle in shape with a 1' wide wall so hence the 2-foot wide grid. Just roll out the grid down each of the 4 sides, cut it and burndy the 4 corners and connect to exposed rebar in the wall that I had to expose by chiseling the backside of the wall. The roll cost $600 back then.

I did not agree when the grid was pulled in favor of the ring. We all know the ring was pulled because of the backlash from the pool and spa industry because of the cost. And here we are 15 years later and because of the extensive study at EPRI in Western Mass, which proved the the single #8 Copper Ring is ineffective, The Copper Grid is back. Yes Massachusetts got it right. Installers can still use Reinforcing Steel under the perimeter...but steel is never there for block pavers.

Well, I should save all this ramblin on for a pool thread.
 
shortcircuit2 said:
But be happy, Mass deleted 210.8(F) which requires GFCI on outdoor outlets!
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Just goes to show you where their thinking is. Outdoor outlets would be the first place I would GFCI and I'm not one to say GFCI everything. What's their reasoning for that?? People complaining that their Christmas lighting won't work? o_O

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Just goes to show you where their thinking is. Outdoor outlets would be the first place I would GFCI and I'm not one to say GFCI everything. What's their reasoning for that?? People complaining that their Christmas lighting won't work? o_O

-Hal
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What they deleted was the rule in the NEC that will require the outlet that feeds the outside hard wired air conditioner unit to have GFCI protection. Remember outlet does not equal receptacle in the NEC.
 
Leespark57 said:
Thanks Don
Ok this is strange. That is what I thought, but my 2020 Handbook 210.12(A) says all branch circuits in a dwelling unit. It must be a misprint, and a major one at that. I actually went to the NFPA bookstore to pick it up last month, they will be getting a call tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Was it in the language of the code itself or in the comments that were added to the handbook?
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I would disagree as a basement is not on the list. If it was finished basement then the rooms down there could be a Living Rooms, bedrooms etc and then they would need afci
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But that wasn't the question, the second time he asked was assuming original language requiring all 15/20 amp 120 volt circuits in the dwelling be AFCI protected would that include the basement, I think the answer would be yes if that proposed language had been used.
 
Yes. So irritating. You pay for a brand new code book and it is wrong from the get go. All the TIAs are bad enough to keep up with. The AFCI everything was one of the reasons i started doing a service upgrade now instead of July when the 2020 code kicks in. Now I have learned that the AFCI all requirement is not right and is back to how it was in 2017. Fortunately, there are enough other bad things in the 2020 code that I still want to do the service upgrade now.
 
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