AFCI for Furnace

[Ohms law]

Point well noted. From experience around my area the electrical inspectors consider a finished room to have ceiling and walls. You could have a bare concrete floor. This reasoning is more than likely what you were saying about fire rating.

IMHO, I would say that a room that has ceiling and walls would be finished and required to have AFCI protection.

 

[Wenty4]

AFCI for furnace

AFCI for furnace

I have not taken my 2014 update as of yet, NH doesn't adopt until 01/15, but from what I understand any device in an area which requires AFCI protection shall be AFCI protected. Which would include the emergency oil burner shut off switch located outside the cellar stairs. Any opinions/interpretations from the forum would be appreciated as this has been knocked around between inspectors and electricians recently.

 

[iwire]

In my opinion that is correct under the 2014 NEC.

 

[al hildenbrand]

I have not taken my 2014 update as of yet, NH doesn't adopt until 01/15, but from what I understand any device in an area which requires AFCI protection shall be AFCI protected. Which would include the emergency oil burner shut off switch located outside the cellar stairs. Any opinions/interpretations from the forum would be appreciated as this has been knocked around between inspectors and electricians recently.

In my opinion that is correct under the 2014 NEC.

Wow. I missed that in my continuing ed class. 210.12(A) has been extended beyond Outlets to include Devices. Finally, that is cleared up. A new wall switch added for a pull chain light will require AFCI.

Regarding Asphalt's posts:

That's the part I'm having a hard time with. I understand it, I just don't like it. If I add an outlet, for any reason, to an existing circuit I have to afci the whole thing. This may be a big can of worms in older homes with lots of non-permitted home owner wiring done over the years.

I agree with you about just not liking it. Older homes are a real challenge for me as well. Adding a wall switch for an existing pull chain ceiling light will now require AFCI under the 2014.

I just got a collection of FAQs about the 2014 NEC from the State of Minnesota which included a very interesting statement about "laundry rooms or areas" being AFCI protected. You can see the full FAQ here.

Question: When a laundry area is in an unfinished or open basement, are any outlets and / or devices in the rest of the basement now required to be AFCI protected by being "IN" the "laundry"?

Answer: No. Although not specifically defined, a laundry area would only encompass that part or section of the basement that has the specific laundry function.

My point? In Minnesota, a laundry area may be an unfinished place in a basement.

From this, I am cautious about the idea of Closet , a term the NEC doesn't define, and a term that I believe describes much more than a "clothes closet" (which the NEC does define). I don't believe a closet has to be finished space to be used as a closet. . . and it could certainly contain a furnace. A furnace in a closet, even when on a dedicated circuit, and only with a disconnect switch (a "device") will have an "outlet" at the splice point between the branch circuit conductors and the furnace's internal wiring. Both the disconnect switch and splice invoke AFCI protection when in a closet.

 

[kwired]

Wow. I missed that in my continuing ed class. 210.12(A) has been extended beyond Outlets to include Devices. Finally, that is cleared up. A new wall switch added for a pull chain light will require AFCI.

Regarding Asphalt's posts:


I agree with you about just not liking it. Older homes are a real challenge for me as well. Adding a wall switch for an existing pull chain ceiling light will now require AFCI under the 2014.

I just got a collection of FAQs about the 2014 NEC from the State of Minnesota which included a very interesting statement about "laundry rooms or areas" being AFCI protected. You can see the full FAQ here.

Question: When a laundry area is in an unfinished or open basement, are any outlets and / or devices in the rest of the basement now required to be AFCI protected by being "IN" the "laundry"?

Answer: No. Although not specifically defined, a laundry area would only encompass that part or section of the basement that has the specific laundry function.

My point? In Minnesota, a laundry area may be an unfinished place in a basement.

From this, I am cautious about the idea of Closet , a term the NEC doesn't define, and a term that I believe describes much more than a "clothes closet" (which the NEC does define). I don't believe a closet has to be finished space to be used as a closet. . . and it could certainly contain a furnace. A furnace in a closet, even when on a dedicated circuit, and only with a disconnect switch (a "device") will have an "outlet" at the splice point between the branch circuit conductors and the furnace's internal wiring. Both the disconnect switch and splice invoke AFCI protection when in a closet.

We are not all that likely to see people changing 120 volt furnaces to 240 volt units either, and they may not even be that easy to get in a typical residential type unit - exception being electric heat units which you almost never find with a 120 volt blower or other accessories.

 

[asphalt]

The state of Washington just adopted the 2014 NEC on July 1. Let the fun begin! Outlets at a furnace are something I run into on a daily basis so I'm sure this will come up a lot. I'll report back with anything interesting I find out. :thumbsup:

 

[shortcircuit2]

Furnace on AFCI

Furnace on AFCI

I put my oil fired, forced hot water furnace that is 15 years old on an AFCI breaker 2-months ago for testing. No problems at all so far. Square-D QO series breaker.