In the state of California, is it necessary for receptacles in a walk-in closet (fully enclosed with a door) to be protected by an AFCI breaker?

Thanks.

Roy

As a matter of opinion only, I would think it a good idea. Any cord-connected device left plugged in could possibly suffer arc-inducing damage by falling or carelessly placed items in a walk-in.

The AHJ in my area would say yes, and I wouldn't argue it.

In any event, wouldn't such a receptacle be on the same branch circuit as the bedroom it's in anyway?

Tony

If seperated by a door, no: The closet is not considered sleeping quarters.

Tony would you argue that a bath that is connected to a bedroom would have to have afci protection for its outlets? No different than a closet. A closet is not a bedroom.

When you apply for a permit is "number of rooms" one of the criteria for permitting? do you count closets as rooms? do you count bathrooms? around here that's a "no" and a "yes". The closet is part of the bedroom, the bathroom is seperate.

"When you apply for a permit is "number of rooms" one of the criteria for permitting? do you count closets as rooms?"

So you make a safety related decision based on the permit revenue ... interesting.

In San Diego I have 3 inspectors say it is part of the bedroom and 2 say it is not. I put the closets on the arc fault to keep the peace and it makes sense to me Rod

Electricmanscott:

If the bath were connected to the same circuit as the bedroom, and the bedroom is required to be AFCI'd, it goes to follow that the bath would indeed end up on the AFCI. Is the bath required to be AFCI'd? No. It does have to have GFI, though.

The same idea of how the bath recpt. gets its power holds for the walk-in. Now if the walk in got power from say, another circuit not required to be on AFCI, no I don't think it would be required to get AFCI protection.

Though I perhaps wasn't clear in my original post, the AHJ in this area (my landlord's brother) says that AFCI would be required in that closet regardless of source.

I would argue till my tounge falls out that a walk in closet is not a bedroom. Where would I be wrong?

This came up today.... How about a "dressing room", seperated from the bed room by a bath room?

I say no. No to closet too. (Unless it had a "no door" opening into the bed room, then it's like an alcove....)

Now if this place was "off campus housing" for college students, chances are that one of the students would fit a bed in that walk-in closet (assuming a bed would in fact fit flat in there). Most college students hate having to share a sleeping room; a separate (no matter how small and crampt) sleeping room is still highly prized. Doesn't matter if there's no window; the ability to shut the door to keep noise and light out is all that's wanted. So yes it should get an AFCI.

This fight has been going on since the first AFCI rule showed up in 99 and it will probably go on until AFCI is the standard in all dwelling circuits.

wa2ise

That would strictly be from a personal opinion not anything to do with what the NEC requires right?

They might bring a hot plate into this closet turned bedroom, does that mean we should bring two SA circuits into the close just in case?

If they are desperate they may use a cup in this room as a urinal, so now it's a bathroom?

IMO this is ridiculous, a closet is a closet, a bedroom is a bedroom.


AFCI protect the closet if you want to but it is not required by the NEC. (Yet)

Keyword... Yet! Wasn't there some proposal to make all residential circuits AFCI?

wa2ise
I still disagree; around here, having a closet seems to be a deciding factor in whether or nopt a room is/can be considered a bedroom.

Therefore, a closet would only be considered a bedroom if it has a closet. Very few closets have closets.

"Very few closets have closets."

My house actually does, I think it was actually a small closet with a vanity. Someone then made the vanity into a closet leaving the original one. So you walk in the closet door to get into the smaller closet.

So if I was to bring it up to code, I would just be confused :P

The plans should show the boundries of the bedroom "area."

I would make the closet as "not part of the bedroom area." That should make the issue clear for the AHJ.

Just thought I'd jump in here with a contractor's point of view: The AHJ will not allow the closet to be counted into the required square footage requirement for the minimum habitable room size so how can it be considered part of the bedroom? They can't have it both ways! The 2000 IRC give closets a definition as "a small room or chamber used for storage". Doesn't sound like part of a bedroom to me.

Harold