Smoke detectors suitable for AFCI circuit

[LMW]

I am working on a residential project which for which I designed interconnected single station smoke detectors connected to an arc fault circuit interrupter protected circuit. The plan reviewer is asking me to provide proof that the detectors "are suitable for use on arc-fault interrupter circuits per 2011 NEC 110.3(A), (7) and (B)." I can't find any reference to this in UL or any smoke detector literature. Please help with any applicable references or ideas on how to respond to the comment.

 

[bphgravity]

Here is some guidance from NEMA:

http://www.nema.org/Products/Documents/lvde- afcis-smoke-alarms-final.pdf

 

[LMW]

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you very much - hopefully that will take care of it.

 

[kwired]

Tell the plan reviewer to wake up, pretty much any smoke alarm installed since AFCI requirements come about has had to be on AFCI protected circuit. If they were not compatible, they would not selling them. Unless an area has completely amended out AFCI requirements, just about all 120 volt smoke alarms in dwellings will be on AFCI protected circuits, especially if interconnected to other alarms.

 

[jxofaltrds]

I am working on a residential project which for which I designed interconnected single station smoke detectors connected to an arc fault circuit interrupter protected circuit. The plan reviewer is asking me to provide proof that the detectors "are suitable for use on arc-fault interrupter circuits per 2011 NEC 110.3(A), (7) and (B)." I can't find any reference to this in UL or any smoke detector literature. Please help with any applicable references or ideas on how to respond to the comment.

WHAT?

Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI). A device intended
to provide protection from the effects of arc faults by recognizing
characteristics unique to arcing and by functioning
to de-energize the circuit when an arc fault is detected.

So he wants to know if they work during Arc-faults?

 

[GoldDigger]

WHAT?
So he wants to know if they work during Arc-faults?

I think that it is much more likely that he is concerned (and confused) about the possibility of a detector falsely tripping an AFCI.

 

[MasterTheNEC]

OK....you all stop confusing me...lol....these are Smoke Alarms as described in the OP's question. So the question is, are smoke detectors suitable for AFCI Circuit...not sure..lol, not that I am aware of..but Smoke Alarms are indeed suitable.

Sorry, I could not resist.

 

[LMW]

OK....you all stop confusing me...lol....these are Smoke Alarms as described in the OP's question. So the question is, are smoke detectors suitable for AFCI Circuit...not sure..lol, not that I am aware of..but Smoke Alarms are indeed suitable.

Sorry, I could not resist.

I stand corrected sorry for the incorrect terminology that was my first post ever so I guess I wasn't careful enough with my language. But then neither is Colorado law which allows 'smoke detectors' combined with state mandated carbon monoxide alarms. And neither is the Illinois Fire Sprinkler Initiative who - under Residential Fire Facts - indicates "smoke detectors did not alert occupants 41 percent of the time." All this trouble for something that only does what its supposed to 59% of the time.

 

[kwired]

I stand corrected sorry for the incorrect terminology that was my first post ever so I guess I wasn't careful enough with my language. But then neither is Colorado law which allows 'smoke detectors' combined with state mandated carbon monoxide alarms. And neither is the Illinois Fire Sprinkler Initiative who - under Residential Fire Facts - indicates "smoke detectors did not alert occupants 41 percent of the time." All this trouble for something that only does what its supposed to 59% of the time.

I'd be willing to bet that if all those same places that resulted in only 41% notification had used combinations of both photoelectric as well as ionization type detection technologies the notification rate would have been much higher.

Hopefully that study did not include battery powered only devices that maybe had either dead or no batteries.