smoke alarms on afci breakers

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Joe Rocker

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Smoke alarms located in a living room and/or parlor, do they need to be on an afci breaker? I am talking about new construction. I know they are tied together but I am not sure about the afci.
Thank you
Joe
 
Yes.

The box you install for a smoke alarm is an 'outlet' to the NEC.

Take a minute and check out the definition of outlet in Article 100
 
I am a little confused. I know what 210.12 says but the last job I did the directions said( for the smoke alarms ) do not put on arc-faults breakers.
 
guschash said:
I am a little confused. I know what 210.12 says but the last job I did the directions said( for the smoke alarms ) do not put on arc-faults breakers.
Click to expand...


Yeah,.. I know what you mean ,. Firex has language that sends the installer to 760 of the NEC .. Some time ago I contacted Mark Ode At UL about it he said it was a mistake ,. that it would be corrected,... still waiting .
 
From the instructions, which can be found here ,..

HOW TO INSTALL
THIS SMOKE ALARM​



DANGER: ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD. Turn off
power at the main fuse box or circuit
breaker by removing the fuse or switching
the circuit breaker to the OFF position.​



WARNING:
This smoke alarm should be installed only
by a qualified electrician. Smoke alarm
installation must be in accordance with the
requirements of Article 760 of the National
Electrical Code and any local codes that
may apply.​
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M. D. said:
Yeah,.. I know what you mean ,. Firex has language that sends the installer to 760 of the NEC .. Some time ago I contacted Mark Ode At UL about it he said it was a mistake ,. that it would be corrected,... still waiting .
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What happened to UL's stated position that all provided instructions are reviewed as part of the listing and are 110.3(B) instructions?
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
What happened to UL's stated position that all provided instructions are reviewed as part of the listing and are 110.3(B) instructions?
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Yup ,. 110.3(b) stinks as currently written... I know ,..I know .. quit whining and propose a change:rolleyes:...
 
I just designed a residential project in a town that was smart enough to include their own exception for smoke detectors when adopting the NEC.

I wonder how many other towns may have similar exceptions.
 
M. D. said:
Yup ,. 110.3(b) stinks as currently written... I know ,..I know .. quit whining and propose a change:rolleyes:...
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A couple of changes were proposed...and they make it worse. They make everything a 110.3(B) instruction. A couple of cycles ago proposed that anything required by the listing must be included in the instructions supplied with the product. That was shot down.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
A couple of changes were proposed...and they make it worse. They make everything a 110.3(B) instruction....
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Perhaps during the comment stage one could show the panel members the erroneous instructions I linked to ,.. I would like to hear the response,..if any.
 
Joe Rocker said:
Smoke alarms located in a living room and/or parlor, do they need to be on an afci breaker? I am talking about new construction. I know they are tied together but I am not sure about the afci.
Click to expand...
Joe,

Read 210.12(B) again. . .see the word "outlet". . . that's a defined term in Article 100. . . it's not what you "think" it is. . .

You had the question yesterday that has the same core answer in it that applies to this question today. . . look at my response to you in yesterday's thread.

If a branch circuit, with many outlets on it, has just one outlet inside an area that 210.12(B) applies to, then the overcurrent protective device for the branch circuit must be an AFCI, and that means that all the other outlets that are not in the area specified in 210.12(B) are protected by the AFCI. To say it another way, AFCI protection, of circuits supplying outlets in areas specified in 210.12(B), is not restricted to the areas specified in 210.12(B).
 
From the instructions, which can be found here ,..
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I actuallky read the instruction and found a mistake. Under "interconnecting smoke alarms" it says " DO NOT connect to any type or model smoke alarm."

I am pretty sure they meant any other type
 
smoke alarms on afci breakers

Your right. I did ask a very similar question with the same answer. I went back and looked at the definition and I understand it better today. Thank you for your help.
joe
 
Joe Rocker said:
Smoke alarms located in a living room and/or parlor, do they need to be on an afci breaker? I am talking about new construction. I know they are tied together but I am not sure about the afci.
Thank you
Joe
Click to expand...

Joe,

This quote is from a Mike Holt Newsletter recently:
"""
Smoke alarms connected to a 15A or 20A circuit of a dwelling unit must be AFCI protected if the smoke alarm is located in one of the areas specified In 210.12(B). The exemption from AFCI protection for the ?fire alarm circuit? contained in 760.41(B) and 760.121(B) doesn?t apply to the single-or multiple-station smoke alarm circuit typically installed in dwelling unit bedroom areas. This is because a smoke alarm circuit isn?t a fire alarm circuit as defined in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. Unlike single-or multiple-station smoke alarms, fire alarm systems are managed by a fire alarm control panel.
"""

Does this interpretation add any fuel to the fire? :smile:
 
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