AFCI breaker required for 220 volt baseboard heater?

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Cleveland Apprentice

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Hi, I plan on installing a 220 volt electric baseboard heater in an addition in a house. I plan on running 12/2 romex and not sure if an AFCI breaker is needed for 220 volt applications or not. I drew a blank on this one.

Also, running romex to a switch in a living room (nothing else) which feeds an exterior flood light; would this require an AFCI breaker as well?

Thanks
 
The answer to both questions is in 210.12(B) 2008 NEC.

The heater would require AFCI protection if it were 120 volt.

The switch does not require AFCI protection. The exterior light does not require AFCI protection. If the exterior light is on a circuit that has outlets in areas that do require AFCI protection, then it will have AFCI protection because it is on that particular circuit, not because it requires protection. The switch leg is inherently going to have protection also.
 
switches considered outlets? confused again!

switches considered outlets? confused again!

allenwayne
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Re: Big oops ... need suggestions
Jeff if you recite 210 12 B , don`t you think that you should include all of what is written in the 02 bible.
All branch circuits that supply 125-volt,single phase.15 and 20 ampere outlets installed in dwelling units shall be protected by an arc - fault circuit interupter listed to provide protection of the entire circuit.
This is a wording change were as the wording covered only receptacle outlets . 100 tells us what an outlet is.A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization
equiptment.
So the 02 tells us that all OUTLETS in a circuit in a bed room must be afci protected.


***Outlets constitute receptacles, switches , smokes and yes ceiling***
 
Cleveland Apprentice said:
allenwayne
Senior Member
Join Date
Jan 2005
Posts
3,034
Re: Big oops ... need suggestions
Jeff if you recite 210 12 B , don`t you think that you should include all of what is written in the 02 bible.
All branch circuits that supply 125-volt,single phase.15 and 20 ampere outlets installed in dwelling units shall be protected by an arc - fault circuit interupter listed to provide protection of the entire circuit.
This is a wording change were as the wording covered only receptacle outlets . 100 tells us what an outlet is.A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization
equiptment.
So the 02 tells us that all OUTLETS in a circuit in a bed room must be afci protected.


***Outlets constitute receptacles, switches , smokes and yes ceiling***
Click to expand...

You'll have to decide for yourself bud. IMHO the definition doesn't include a switch.
 
jwelectric said:
What about the new requirement for installing a grounded conductor, does this change anything? Is a switch now an outlet?
Click to expand...


What about past installations where grounded conductor is spliced in the switch box but is not needed by the switch?

True an occupancy switch that requires a grounded conductor is not exactly 'just a switch' anymore.

The only place this can become a problem is with a switch located in a room that requires AFCI protection for outlets in the room but that switch controls an outlet in a room that does not require AFCI protection. The fact it is not in same room reduces the chance of it being an occupancy sensor switch. It still could be some kind of timer that uses a grounded conductor though.
 
iwire said:
I think I hear my mom calling me for dinner, gotta run. :p
Click to expand...

What is the essence and purpose of the code and the AFCI. Is it to protect the occupant from the faulty wire or the device installed, the equipment ?????


I got my tent pitched looks like it will be a while here. Hey fire up those dogs I'm getting hungry. :thumbsup:
 
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One simple question, can anybody find a definition of "Switch Outlet" in the NEC? When one is found we will know what it is and that it is an outlet. ;)

There are definitions for "Lighting Outlets", "Receptacle Outlets", and "Power Outlets" but there is no definition for a "Switch Outlet" so a switch is simply not considered an "Outlet" as far as the NEC is concerned.


BTW, when a light is added to a switch we are not talking about just a switch any longer.


Roger
 
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