GFCI and AFCI Devices Revisited

January 1, 2022

Following up on a number of emails regarding my original article around GFCI and AFCI devices in the November issue, expanded and corrected information follows.

The parallel AFCI devices were developed before the series devices. The original branch feeder AFCI breakers only detected parallel arcs.

AFCI protection was originally required for bedroom receptacles in the 1999 NEC, but implementation was delayed until January 1, 2002. The 2002 NEC required arc fault protection for all outlets in a bedroom, which includes lights and smoke detectors. The 2005 NEC required that all AFCI devices be the combination type that detect both parallel and series faults. The enforcement was delayed until January 1, 2008 to allow current stock to be used up. The 2008 NEC expanded the requirement for AFCI protection to almost all habitable rooms in a residence except kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and exterior outlets. See the code for the specific list of rooms. The 2014 NEC revised and reworded and added “devices,” which now included switches, and also added kitchens and laundry areas to the areas requiring AFCI protection. Installation options were expanded to allow the use of arc fault receptacles with certain restrictions for new installations. Be sure to check your local jurisdiction’s requirements for where AFCI protection is currently required and when it was adopted.

The SoP requires that GFCI and AFCI devices be inspected. The definition of inspect is
“The process of examining readily accessible systems and components… and (2) operating normal operating controls…”

Since the test buttons should be operated monthly per the manufacturer’s instructions, the test button is a normal operating control and should be operated during the inspection when possible. Refer to the original article for conditions that may limit when to test these devices. There are no requirements in the SoP to describe the devices.

Test equipment is now available to test the operation of AFCI devices. This test equipment is specific to each manufacturer and, while it may not damage a device, may not test it properly. Best to test when appropriate with the test button only.

Breakers that provide both GFCI and AFCI protection are called dual function or dual purpose circuit breakers to distinguish them from combination (parallel and series) AFCI breakers. Using the “test” button on the device should test both functions (according to Leviton).

I would like to thank Mike Twitty for sharing his extensive knowledge about AFCI devices and the detailed history of their development, Victor Faggella, P.E., for his input and extensive research about testing procedures for AFCIs, and Doron Bracha for his contribution to the information in this article.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of ASHI. The information contained in the article is general and readers should always independently verify for accuracy, completeness and reliability.


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