smokes in dwelling

[daver828]

questions

questions

Hope these are not stupid questions.

Someone today told me of an interpretation of the "arc fault" rule that when a bedroom is fed from an arc fault breaker, then no other branch circuit feeder can leave that bedroom and go to another location? Maybe I totally misunderstood. The way he explained was that the main feeder from the circuit breaker comes into the bedroom, but no hot from that circuit could leave that bedroom and feed something else. In his mind, this was a direct conflict with feeding smokes from the bedroom circuit and also a conflict on why smokes had to be on an arc fault at all. Someone help me with this no doubt confused thinking.

Second question has to do with remodel jobs in which a bedroom is added, but all the existing smokes are battery operated, and independant of each other. Do all the smokes then have to be upgraded to the current code? Or the existing smokes left alone as "existing"?

Third, are the smokes to be on a dedicated circuit? Or should they be fed from a bedroom circuit? What about feeding from any other circuit?

Thanks for straightening me out.

 

[elechank]

Not to throw a wrench in all this but I will anyway. I was told by a building inspector that CO is heavier than air and CO detectors should be on the first floor and basement levels. If that's true, why are we installing them in 2nd flr bedroom hallways?

Hank

 

[M. D.]

Co2 is only slightly heavier than the "air" we breathe in the home , it mixes well with little effort needed If you heat your house it is mixed.

 

[George Stolz]

Hope these are not stupid questions.

Someone today told me of an interpretation of the "arc fault" rule that when a bedroom is fed from an arc fault breaker, then no other branch circuit feeder can leave that bedroom and go to another location? Maybe I totally misunderstood.

I sure hope you either misunderstood or have a local rule stating this, because nothing of the sort appears in 210.12. It could be that the guy has never actually read the rule, and is going off what he's been hearing around town, or something.

Second question has to do with remodel jobs in which a bedroom is added, but all the existing smokes are battery operated, and independant of each other. Do all the smokes then have to be upgraded to the current code? Or the existing smokes left alone as "existing"?

That depends on your building department, I'd think you'd have to ask them.

Third, are the smokes to be on a dedicated circuit? Or should they be fed from a bedroom circuit? What about feeding from any other circuit?

By the NEC, they simply have to be AFCI-protected if they installed in bedrooms.

Beyond that, local AHJs can and do amend the rules to supply the smokes in the way they believe is best. Some require dedicated circuits, some forbid AFCI, some require the smokes be supplied by a circuit supplying lighting to some crucial area, so that if the breaker kicks the lights force the problem to be solved, to protect the smokes. You'd have to check with your local AHJs to know for sure.