Yikes
Gold Member
Talked with a building official today about an apartment property manager who wants to simply replace existing incandescent light fixtures with high efficacy fixtures in the bedrooms and hallways of about 50 units.
(typical fixtures, with typical ceiling junction box.)
The building official says that every outlet that is changed must be upgraded to Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters, and he says that since the light fixture's junction box meets NEC definition of "outlet", therefore the light circuit needs protection, and since the only place to do that on our lighting-only circuit is back at the load center, we need an AFCI circuit breaker. But the load center is too old to support that kind of breaker, so now we have to replace the load centers and submit engineered electrical plans for approval.
I asked, "so do you mean to say that if someone goes to Home depot to put in a new light fixture in their old house, they need to effectively replace the entire panelboard?"
"Yes."
Question: where in the NEC does it say, or infer, that replacing a light fixture triggers AFIC for the lighting circuit?
I can understand it for NEW construction per NEC 210.12(A)
I can understand it for EXISTING "wiring modifications" per NEC 210(B)
I can understand it for replacement of EXISTING "receptacle outlets" (not J-boxes) per NEC 406.4(D)4
But I don't see anything about replacing a light, when you are not touching the wiring (other than the connect the light in the existing J-box).
***
(typical fixtures, with typical ceiling junction box.)
The building official says that every outlet that is changed must be upgraded to Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters, and he says that since the light fixture's junction box meets NEC definition of "outlet", therefore the light circuit needs protection, and since the only place to do that on our lighting-only circuit is back at the load center, we need an AFCI circuit breaker. But the load center is too old to support that kind of breaker, so now we have to replace the load centers and submit engineered electrical plans for approval.
I asked, "so do you mean to say that if someone goes to Home depot to put in a new light fixture in their old house, they need to effectively replace the entire panelboard?"
"Yes."
Question: where in the NEC does it say, or infer, that replacing a light fixture triggers AFIC for the lighting circuit?
I can understand it for NEW construction per NEC 210.12(A)
I can understand it for EXISTING "wiring modifications" per NEC 210(B)
I can understand it for replacement of EXISTING "receptacle outlets" (not J-boxes) per NEC 406.4(D)4
But I don't see anything about replacing a light, when you are not touching the wiring (other than the connect the light in the existing J-box).
***
- NEC 100 definition of outlet: A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.
- NEC 100 definition of "receptacle": A contact device installed at the outlet for connection of an attachment plug.
- NEC 100 definition of "receptacle outlet": An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.