AFCIs guard against arcs and sparks
More than 40,000 home fires claiming over 350 lives and injuring 1,400 victims annually originate in problems in home wiring, such as arcing and sparking, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But a new electrical safety device for homes, called an arc fault circuit interrupter, or AFCI, can provide enhanced protection from fires resulting from unsafe home wiring conditions.
Typical household fuses and circuit breakers do not respond to early arcing and sparking conditions in wiring. By the time a fuse or circuit breaker opens a circuit to defuse these conditions, a fire can already have ignited.
AFCIs are already recognized for their effectiveness in preventing fires. The most recent edition of the National Electrical Code, the widely-adopted model code for electrical wiring, requires AFCIs for bedroom circuits in new residential construction as of January 2002. Future editions of the code, which is updated every three years, might expand coverage.
AFCIs vs. GFCIs
AFCIs should not be confused with ground fault circuit interrupters, or GFCIs. Although both are important safety devices, they have different functions. AFCIs are intended to address fire hazards; GFCIs address shock hazards. Combination devices that include both AFCI and GFCI protection in one unit should be ilable soon.
AFCIs can be installed in any 15- or 20-amp branch circuit in homes today and are currently available as circuit breakers with built-in AFCI features. In the near future, other types of devices with AFCI protection will be available.
Should You Install AFCIs?
You might want to consider adding AFCI protection for either a new or an existing home. Older homes with ordinary circuit breakers, in particular, might benefit from the added protection against the arcing faults that can occur in aging wiring systems. Be sure a qualified electrician performs the installation; do not attempt this work yourself. It will involve working within electrical panel boxes that are usually electrically live, even with the main circuit breakers turned off. For additional information, log on to the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site, www.cpsc.gov .
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