Ok'd by two electricians, and not against code.

I saw this in a new construction home. Can anyone see the code violation? Can anyone guess what the code enforcer did?

tom

What is the device in the upper left corner? Is that a surge protector?

I give up.
Are you referring to the surge protector in the upper left corner?

The upper left item was a surgebreaker, love these things. http://www.squared.com/us/products/surge_protection.nsf/unid/A7747F63A6BFCB8A85256A78006E44F7/$file/surgerbreakersda.htm

Hint: color of buttons.

tom

AFCIs everywhere?

Okay, if the required GFCI protection (locals in the bath’s, kitchen, garage and exterior) are in place.

The AFCIs add another ‘level’ of protection but do not replace GFCIs… :roll:

It seems they got a ‘discount’ on some of the AFCI’s.

:wink:

If some of our resident Sparkys have the insight I think they have, we may see AFCIs required in nearly every area a GFCI is not

lotta panel boards going to look like that one…:shock:

The AFCI’s would not be a violation.

Rumor has it, they will be required on all circuits, even those with GFCI protection.

Were some of those the old recalled ones, the ones with the blue buttons?

The recalled (Blue Button) AFCI’s will function as a Breaker. They will not reliably function as an AFCI.

Is that the reason the AHJ approved their use as a breaker?

Not all blue ones were recalled.

Only certain dates were involved.

Correct,

But the ones that were recalled were not found to be defective in use as a standard breaker (areas not requiring GFCI and/or AFCI protection).

I saw a ‘passed’ sticker on the panel; so there seems to be no code violations.

tom

P.S. I understand this isn’t a code forum, just one of the wackiest looking, new, passed panels I’ve seen.

The same rumor is spreading here Jeff!!

The same rumor is spreading here Jeff!!

here is the rough draft of the 2008 NEC Section 210.12

**(B) Dwelling Units.
**

All 120-volt, single phase, 15- and
20-ampere branch circuits installed in dwelling units shall
be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination
type installed to provide protection of the branch
circuit. [ROP 2–105, 2–142, 2–111]

Wake Up Call!

First builder lobbies will squash this in states like NJ. I was told that they still don’t require a single AFCI in a panel yet.

Second, many states adopt new codes so slow, you might see this adopted for several years.

tom

And this is a bad thing how?..

Florida has said they are skipping the 2008 entirely. They will pick up the 2011. They have cherry picked the 2008 680.26© language and put it in the pool section of the building code (allowing a single #8 as the deck bonding).

I won’t tell you how this is bad, I believe it’s self-evident. AFCI’s save homes.

tom