Lights and switches on AFCI breaker

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Joe Rocker

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I just joined this forum and I have a question relating to the NEC 2008 regarding lights and switches on an AFCI breaker. I know outlets in bedrooms and living room outlets need to be on AFCI circuits but are lights located in these same rooms required to be AFCI protected.
Thank you
Joe
 
Welcome to the forum. :smile:

Joe Rocker said:
I know outlets in bedrooms and living room outlets need to be on AFCI circuits but are lights located in these same rooms required to be AFCI protected.
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Joe you answered your own question, lighting fixtures are connected to lighting outlets.

See Article 100.
 
lights and switches on AFCI

lights and switches on AFCI

Okay, I think I got it. If I am planning a circuit in a bedroom or living room, I know a switch is not an outlet but since the receptacles are AFCI protected and the light has to be AFCI protected that would make the switch also AFCI protected. For whatever reason, I thought only wall outlets had to be AFCI protected.
 
Joe,

It's a common confusion to equate outlet with a "plug-in". As a defined term in Article 100, an outlet is were the current leaves the Premises Wiring (System). Premises wiring (system) is also in the Definitions.

The current leaving the premises wiring (system) is going to Utilization Equipment.

So, the current in a smoke detector wire nutted at a junction box, luminaire attached to the ceiling or a load plugged into a receptacle goes from the Premises Wiring (System) through an Outlet on its way to the Utilization Equipment.
 
Here is something from MH. Of course, as mentioned, 2008 changes things

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:D
Speedskater said:
So is a quad-receptacle, one outlet or four outlets?
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Heh. . .

How many yokes are holding the "quad-receptacle"?

As asked, it seems like you might be thinking of a single yoke with four receptacles in the device. . . I've never seen such an animal. It would be one "Outlet".

Or are you thinking of two duplex receptacles beside each other in a two gang configuration? This would be two "Outlets" in the Article 100 definition sense.

Or maybe you are thinking of four single receptacles, each on their own yoke, beside each other in a four gang configuration. This would be four "Outlets".

Or maybe its a single, a duplex and a single. . .:cool:. . .;)
 
480,

Yeh, well. . . . I was thinking Polarized . . . and grounded. . .

And, before someone reaches for it, the 4" square cover with the four receptacles facing in all four orientations (up, right, down, left) is a special case that would bear discussion, IMO, as to how many outlets. It's probably one, but I've never held one in my hand, nor read the tech specs, so I'm guessing.
 
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