Replacement of permanently mounted fixtures in AFCI protection required rooms.

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Knuckle Dragger

Knuckle Dragger

Master Electrician Electrical Contractor 01752
Location
Marlborough, Massachusetts USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Hi All,
I know receptacles need to be replaced with AFCI receptacles or upgrade the entire circuit. Do permanently mounted light fixtures or even switches/dimmers need to be AFCI protected after replacing them in rooms that now require arc fault protection? Thanks for your help!!
 
In my opinion no, not under the NEC.

And furthermore as you are from Mass please check out Mass rule 3 in our Mass electrical code.
 
It may depend in part on whether the relevant code section for the location is written to refer to receptacles or to outlets.
But in either case by installing a new fixture you are not modifying the outlet or building wiring system in any way (in contrast, replacing a receptacle is a modification to the outlet.)
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
Hi All,
I know receptacles need to be replaced with AFCI receptacles or upgrade the entire circuit. Do permanently mounted light fixtures or even switches/dimmers need to be AFCI protected after replacing them in rooms that now require arc fault protection? Thanks for your help!!
Click to expand...

As stated by iwire;

2014 Mass electrical code Amendments

Rule # 3

Additions or modifications to an existing installation shall be made in accordance with this Code
without bringing the remaining part of the installation into compliance with the requirements of
this Code. The installation shall not create a violation of this Code, nor shall it increase the
magnitude of an existing violation.


Welcome to the forum.:thumbsup:
 
iwire said:
In my opinion no, not under the NEC.

And furthermore as you are from Mass please check out Mass rule 3 in our Mass electrical code.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reference!
I have read MEC amendments Rule 3. and 210.12... I must be over thinking it or trying to figure out how an electrical inspector is going to interrupt an outlet or device.


I would define a duplex receptacle or snap switch as a device. What about a standard ceiling light and why?

I hope this isn't too elementary.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
Thanks for the reference!
I have read MEC amendments Rule 3. and 210.12... I must be over thinking it or trying to figure out how an electrical inspector is going to interrupt an outlet or device.


I would define a duplex receptacle or snap switch as a device. What about a standard ceiling light and why?

I hope this isn't too elementary.
Click to expand...

With a standard light fixture, your biggest worry is the temperature rating of the conductors in the ceiling box, an example would be the old BX cable and K&T conductors are only good for 60c where as the standard lighting fixture requires 90c conductors in that box, so it the conductors are newer Romex 334.112 requires the conductors to be 90c.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
Thanks for the reference!
I have read MEC amendments Rule 3. and 210.12... I must be over thinking it or trying to figure out how an electrical inspector is going to interrupt an outlet or device.


I would define a duplex receptacle or snap switch as a device. What about a standard ceiling light and why?

I hope this isn't too elementary.
Click to expand...

Per the NEC definition of device a light fixture is not a device.

The box the fixture is mounted to is a "lighting outlet" per article 100 definition. As such 210.12 applies to it.

But again you are not changing the outlet or the branch circuit. You should not be required to install a AFCI.
 
LEO2854 said:
With a standard light fixture, your biggest worry is the temperature rating of the conductors in the ceiling box, an example would be the old BX cable and K&T conductors are only good for 60c where as the standard lighting fixture requires 90c conductors in that box, so it the conductors are newer Romex 334.112 requires the conductors to be 90c.
Click to expand...

Amen to that. Although the 334.112 rule is not new with all the newer code changes potential customers are opting to DYI or hire a handyman to do our profession instead of having it done to code. (sorry for the rant)

Thanks for the response!
 
iwire said:
Per the NEC definition of device a light fixture is not a device.

The box the fixture is mounted to is a "lighting outlet" per article 100 definition. As such 210.12 applies to it.

But again you are not changing the outlet or the branch circuit. You should not be required to install a AFCI.
Click to expand...

I worried an inspector would argue that by this definition a light fixture could be a device, because it carries electric energy through it's wires and lamp holders to the lamp.

Definition on Device: A unit of an electrical system, other than a conductor, that carries or controls electric energy as it's main principal function.

Thank you I do feel better about this.
 
The key words that you will rely on are "of an electrical system". What comes beyond the outlet is not a part of the electrical system but rather a load supplied by it.

Tapatalk!
 
GoldDigger said:
Just that a light fixture, whether hard wired or cord connected, cannot be an Article 100 device (and exactly why.)
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Well, I have to disagree with your reasoning on that.

A hard wired light fixture is (in my opinion) without a doubt part of the the electrical system.

A light fixture is not a device because it's principle function is to illuminate and not just carry or control energy.



2014 NEC Article 100
Device. A unit of an electrical system, other than a conductor, that carries or controls
electric energy as its principal function.
Click to expand...
 
GoldDigger said:
Just that a light fixture, whether hard wired or cord connected, cannot be an Article 100 device (and exactly why.)

Tapatalk!
Click to expand...
Article 100.
Lighting Outlet. An outlet intended for the direct connection of a lampholder or luminaire.
 
This is a perfect unlooked feature that just may help somebody win the '' I got me the most code changes in so I am the obvious best electrician ever contest''. Better hurry before somebody else grabs it and goes for the goal.
 
If you follow that, I think that you can still successfully argue that by replacing the lampholders or luminaire, even with one which is radically different, you have not altered the branch circuit (which ends at the outlet).
Or you could just as successfully argue it the opposite way. :)

Tapatalk!
 
GoldDigger said:
If you follow that, I think that you can still successfully argue that by replacing the lampholders or luminaire, even with one which is radically different, you have not altered the branch circuit (which ends at the outlet).
Or you could just as successfully argue it the opposite way. :)

Tapatalk!
Click to expand...

I think claiming that changing a light fixture is altering the branch circuit is a huge leap.


What you are suggesting would mean that the changing of a fixture in an old house would require replacing any old K&T or reduced EGC NM cables in the circuit.
 
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