AFCI + GFCI Protection

Chart of codes by year and AF/GF requirements:

AFCI

• https://currentelectricsystems.com/arc-fault-circuit-interrupter-afci-protection/#:~:text=According%20to%20current%20code%2C%20there,Exterior%20Receptacles%20and%20Lighting
• This report states 50% of fires can be prevented by AFCI breakers - [1] - or about 2000 fires per year.
  • In 1990-2000 - about 1 person died per day of residential fires in the USA. Property damage of $5M per death, and $640M in property, and more in injury - total of a couple billion.

AFCI Controversy

• There appears to be significant controversy regarding AFCI breakers - [2]
  • Interestingly, Mike Holt Forum electricians are much against them. There is very little support for their effectiveness in the electrician community. This is 2023, so false trips are reportedly a culprit that leads to replacing such breakers with regular ones.
  • One compelling comment - I still believe it is too difficult to maintain an arc at 120 volts long enough for it to be much of a fire hazard without additional interaction to keep feeding material into the arc. This is no different than welding with a stick welder - you keep moving closer to the work as the stick gets consumed, if you don't the gap grows too large and the arc goes out. I think possibly the biggest cause of electrical fires in the fixed wiring is failing connections that develop resistance - an AFCI can't differentiate between that or a desired resistance load.
    • My other concern (assuming AFCI's are the way to go) is after 30 to 40 years which seems to be the time when you start to find some failures in the install that maybe an AFCI would be beneficial to protect you from - will the electronics in the AFCI still be functioning? We all know that homeowners are well known to go press the test button on a monthly basis on these as well as all their GFCI's.
  • MJ comment - [3]
    • Suspicion seems verified in the 9 answers the day after the post. - MJ 5/6/24
  • If you start digging deeper - more bogus data on AFCI effectiveness - [4]
  • (See also - [5]. And here - [6] - see Jfletcher.

Sourcing

• There are AFCI outlets and breakers

Links

• NEC adoption by year by state - [7]
• St. Joseph -