Smoke detector and AFCI

[Manuel Mollinedo]

NEC last editions request that all electrical inside sleeping rooms to be connected through an Arc Fault Circuit Breaker, but NFPA 72 says that Single station smoke detectors shall not be connected ina Ground Fault circuit Breaker to prevent the device could be shuting off. Considering that GFCI and AFCI work is similar: How can we "match" this two first statements?

 

[mdshunk]

Residential smoke alarms are not smoke detectors.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Yup. Marc's nailed it.

A residential smoke "alarm" that is supplied by a 15 or 20 Amp 120 Volt branch circuit, and that is mounted to a box containing that "outlet" (see Art. 100 Definition of outlet), and that is inside a bedroom (2005 NEC) must have AFCI protection, unless local ordinance modifies the NEC.

 

[iwire]

Residential smoke alarms are not smoke detectors.

Ditto that, it's all in the name.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

In addition, AFCIs do not provide GFCI protection. The AFCI has supplemental GFP type protection.