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#169114 09/25/07 07:36 PM
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I was asked if a 120v. 15a. circuit to a furnace located in a bedroom needs AFCI protection and if I'm not mistaken the answer would be yes. What say you?


George Little
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Cat Servant
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George .... I'd love to hear how this application turns out.

As written the furnace would need an AFCI. Nor does the new version allow any exceptions for appliances that use igniters for the gas flame, rather than having a pilot light.

When an igniter operates, that sure looks like a spark to me. Either the AFCI will shut down the appliance .... or I am completely misled as to just what an AFCI is supposed to do!

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If you gotta put the smokes on AFCI, I sure don't see any relief for anything else. The only question would be if it was really "in" the bedroom. (the old "closet" question)


Greg Fretwell
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Thanks Greg I agree. As for clarification the furnace is a horizontal furnace located above the closet and is serviced standing on a ladder located in the bedroom. I would say it is in the bedroom.


George Little
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Reno- I don't think the spark ignition would trip the AFCI because it's supplied by a xformer but I could be wrong. The AFCI only sees arc's on the 120v. lines.???


George Little
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Is this furnace open to the room, or is it in an enclosed area, with just an access panel? If it is in an enclosed area, I would consider it technically not in the "bedroom".
Plus, as a HVAC tech, the last thing I would want to see is the furnace on an arc fault. The risk of the arc fault tripping out is too great, leaving the home without heat when it is needed the most.


It's all about herding those electrons.
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George, I agree this should not be tripping the AFCI. The AFCI is really looking for a series of short, high current events. (on the order of 50a or more). I can't see an igniter doing anything like that.


Greg Fretwell
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If the AFCI does trip due to the igniter IMO it will be the GFP portion of a AFCI that is causing the trip. (All AFCIs have built GFP protection in the 30 ma range if I recall)

I also with Greg's point about the transformer providing some isolation.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
iwire #169132 09/26/07 07:54 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
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My vote would be that it had to be AFCI protected. I agree that if a smoke alarm has to be protected a furnace should be protected as well.

Tony T.

Joined: Jul 2007
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Iwire, I'm no expert on AFCI design however why do you thing the GFCI side of the AFCI would trip? If it is working properly, the GFCI portions measues power in/power out. If there is a difference of a few millivolts, it trips. If the igniter is grounding out then yes it would trip.

Last edited by sparkyinak; 09/26/07 09:54 AM. Reason: Do not know how to spell AFCI

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