Old house and a new panel installed in 2007. No Arc Fault Protection installed. What say ye?
Old house with old panel…I still recommend arc fault protection.
From my standpoint I’d say it depends on your location.
Around here the ONLY place you see AFCIs is in modulars and mobiles built out of state.
There aren’t many jurisdictions that will require AFCI’s to be added during a service upgrade, but the addition of AFCI’s still falls into the “good idea” category.
I left it as a recommendation, following James’s lead. 
But thought it was odd that a new panel was not to current code.
Electrical is wierd being in my opinion. The mechanical parts of the system cause many of the problems, but the many of the electrical guys are not very mechanical, odd indeed.
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While installing the AFCI’s may be a good idea there are also reasons it may not be possible. Multi-wire branch circuit may be in use and there is only one brand of 2 pole AFCI available that I know of.
No new circuit were installed so there is no requirement for them.
Cost to the homeowner may have been an issue.
Our AHJ says no, they’re not needed on a service upgrade - I’ve wrestled with this a few times recently.
His interpretation as I understand it;
The “panel” does not require AFCI breakers. It’s the bedroom circuits that require them. If there is no change to the “bedroom circuits,” there is no need to add AFCI protection.
If the house/bedroom is rewired, or an additional bedroom is added, AFCI’s are required.
Today’s New Construction…
They ‘forgot’ to install the AFCI’s… :shock:
I spoke w /N CHS BI and they say they’d have caught prior to the CO…
(I called to ensure there wasn’t an exempted enclave in the newer neighborhood…)
And I also recommend they be added to existing panel boards as well.
Not required in any of the 3 Counties I work in for an ‘upgrade to existing service’ but all require them when permitting to add a new bedroom… go figure…:roll: