Arc-Fault Protection…The New Standard

On January 1, 2010, Georgia adopted the 2008 National Electrical Code and its changes to branch circuit protection. Georgia was slow to adopt this new standard, taking a wait and see approach to the new code, but is now fully committed to the new standard. This change means that all branch circuit outlets, switches, and lights in your home are now required to be arc-fault protected. This rule is an additional to the 2005 change that required arc-fault breakers in bedrooms.

Arc-fault protection is a state of the art advancement in circuit breaker technology.  Traditional breaker only trip when the load (wattage or power) on the circuit exceeds the breakers set level. Its essentially a fuse that can be reset.  The old breakers don’t understand or recognize the difference between power that is running your appliances and power that is creating a fire hazard. If you’ve even had a outlet or appliance burn-up, you understand this problem. You may have any asked yourself “why didn’t the breaker trip?” Arc-fault breakers are smart. They can sense not only when a circuit is overloaded but also when the circuit is in trouble. If a wire starts to arc or spark, the breaker immediately turns off even if the breaker was not overloaded.  According to the National Association for Fire Protection  ”there were an estimated 20,900 home structure fires that involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment and resulted in 500 civilian deaths, 1,100 civilian injuries, and $862 million in direct property damage. Roughly half of these fires cited arcing as a factor contributing to ignition. Arcing is the principal electrical failure mode resulting in fire.” That means full implementation of the new arc-fault breakers can be expected to save hundreds of people and millions of dollars.

Take advantage of this new technology and get it installed in your own home. If you home was built after 2005, you will already have arc-fault breakers in your bedrooms and sleeping areas. If you home was built before 2005, you may not have them at all. The way to tell is by checking your electrical panel. Arc-fault breakers will look different from other breakers and have a test button on them. They will also be labeled “AFCI” which stands for Arc-fault Circuit Interrupter.  If you do not have arc-fault breakers, call us and get a licensed electrician to check your electrical system. Eventually, every home in America will have Arc-fault protection. Don’t be one of the last to be protected.