Laundry Room Arc Fault

[al hildenbrand]

I get your point but you may have missed mine -- the lighting used in the basement whether specific or general is still used to enter & exit & used while using the space for living purposes.

Here, turn the situation slightly another way. Place the washer and clothes dryer inside a recess along a Hallway, a recess just deep enough and just wide enough for the machines and a set of bifold or pocket doors. This is a "laundry area". Does it require a lighting outlet inside the laundry area? It would be convenient, no doubt, and my eyes would appreciate the added lumens while sorting and matching, but is there a laundry area light outlet required in a recess off a hallway for a laundry area?

I submit, in my situation just described, that the closest "required" lighting outlet is only that for the Hallway.

This may be a place to submit a proposal to the CMPs to add the requirement. . .

 

[mwm1752]

Kinda a mute point as the hallway lighting is AFCI protected -- which is what was asked AFCI basement lighting -- my bad for using living purposes instead of habitable I just think it fits better.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Kinda a mute point as the hallway lighting is AFCI protected -- which is what was asked AFCI basement lighting -- my bad for using living purposes instead of habitable I just think it fits better.

I got the call to your point, and, in part, my multiple posts was me working through my thinking. . . I appreciate the question that "living purpose" points towards.

And, for crawling around in the Holy Writ for the precise language, I note that "hallways" are in Additional Locations and that "basements" are in Storage or Equipment Spaces in 210.70(A), not Habitable Rooms. So, I think it is a hard sell to say that lighting that is required by 210.70 for other areas or locations, regardless of whether the Laundry Area is present, must be affected by the presence of the Laundry Area (with the sole caveat for the other area or location required lighting outlet actually being inside the immediate area used for laundry purposes, and how that is defined is subject to AHJ call.)

 

[al hildenbrand]

Kinda a mute point as the hallway lighting is AFCI protected.

Well, I'm just trying to emphasize that a minimal "laundry area" has no "required lighting outlet".

 

[MasterTheNEC]

And the basement lights?

So if I have a W/D in the garage do the lights have to be AFCI protected?

What about the GFCI for the GDO if it is in 'that area'?



View attachment 12452

Opinions have been asked and I gave mine. Since the Laundry Branch Circuit is required and it is supplying the washing machine in the basement area....I would designate that AREA where the washer and dryer is located as such.....if the inspector rules that the entire basement is a "laundry area" then that is their prerogative I guess. BTW- if I am incorrect...it would not be the first time...:angel: but I am in hopes that an inspector would use common sense on the application...I hope anyway

Guess I should also add that....If the Inspector happens to not think it is a "Laundry Area" then he is home free......if the inspector thinks it is....then why die on that sword.....just put in the AFCI and conceded that its conceivable and move on to the next job.