New ARC breaker, bath shower light, and smoke detectors

[Anonymous]

First off, let me say your site is great. I really enjoy reading all the posts.

When I upgarde the service panel in my old house house I will of course need to upgrade the other out of date circuits.

I read that I now need a new breaker for the bedrooms called an ARC. What is this, and what does it do?

I have two bathrooms and plan on wiring the dedicated outlets on their own breaker (GFI) and the bathroom lights off of another GFI protected circuit so I can install a light by the shower. From what i read in the code it sounds alright. Am I?

In addition, the can type light fixture I want to use half in, half out (read HALO or generic home center type) of the shower on the ceiling say ok for wet use. Some of these fixtuures have what looks like a sealed bulb and some don't. I am I to assume that I can safely use these in or near the shower in ceiling if GFI protected?

I will now also need to install a dedicated 120 volt smoke detector circuit. From reading another post do I need to install these smake detectors on an ARC breaker if they are in th bedrooms too?

I hope this isn't too many questions for one post and thanks in advance for your replies.

Tom

[Wgoodrich]

YOU SAID;
First off, let me say your site is great. I really enjoy reading all the posts.

REPLY;
Don't miss reading our sister
site Homewiringandmore.com
much info there to read with pictures in the 2002 side of that site.

YOU SAID;
When I upgarde the service panel in my old house house I will of course need to upgrade the other out of date circuits.

REPLY;
YOu can do this in two projects if approved by your AHJ. Might be easier to fit in your budget.

YOU SAID;
I read that I now need a new breaker for the bedrooms called an ARC. What is this, and what does it do?

REPLY;
An arc fault breaker moniters the sine wave of the electrical current looking for prolonged arcing that is a frequent cause of fire. Hopefully as it lives in the electrical industry the arc fault breaker will become even better than it is now.

YOU SAID;
I have two bathrooms and plan on wiring the dedicated outlets on their own breaker (GFI) and the bathroom lights off of another GFI protected circuit so I can install a light by the shower. From what i read in the code it sounds alright. Am I?

REPLY;
YOu are fine as you discribed yet when combining the shower light on a GFI then you may want to consider a second option in the NEC to address this quest in your bathroom. If you install a dedicated 20 amp 120 volt branch circuit to a certain single bathroom then you may wire everything in that bathroom placing the GFI protection at the point in the branch circuit so that both the bathroom receptacle or receptacles in that bathroom and the desired GFI protection of the recessed light is all served by the same branch circuit dedicated to that certain bathroom and what needs to be GFI protected can be GFI protected.

YOU SAID;
In addition, the can type light fixture I want to use half in, half out (read HALO or generic home center type) of the shower on the ceiling say ok for wet use. Some of these fixtuures have what looks like a sealed bulb and some don't. I am I to assume that I can safely use these in or near the shower in ceiling if GFI protected?

REPLY'
Just because you are over a shower does not mean your are in the shower. The GFI protection is for a light fixture in the shower. If you have a shower 6' tall and your ceiling is 8' tall then that area above the shower door or shower sides allows the moisture to flow out into the bathroom allowing that area above the shower walls and shower door to be considered as a dry location. Definition of a dry location is that area that is dry yet periodically may become damp or wet. You may not be required GFI protection on this light above the shower. Check with your AHJ for a ruling meeting your set up of your shower / light setting. The recessed lights with exposed bulbs or just the tank does not make this recessed light approved for a wet location. The trim that mounts to that recessed tank that is with a gasket makes that recessed tank and trim combination to be approved for a wet location. Again check with your AHJ for a ruling.

YOU SIAD;
I will now also need to install a dedicated 120 volt smoke detector circuit. From reading another post do I need to install these smake detectors on an ARC breaker if they are in th bedrooms too?

REPLY;
Your smoke detector system is not required to be a dedicated branch circuit. You smoke detectors are required to be installed inside each bedroom, in each vicinity of each bedroom, and at least one on each floor level of your home. According to the 2002 NEC ALL outlets [lights, receptacles, smoke detectors, etc.] installed within a bedroom must be arc fault protected. This would include smoke detectors. Since the smoke detectors are required to be intertied so that if one smoke detector goes off sounding then all smoke detectors must go off sounding also then all smoke detectors must be arc fault protected because of those smoke detectors are also required to be placed inside the bedrooms. Arc fault protection is required to be an arc fault breaker.

There is one more rule that needs mentioned concering smoke detectors and that is the smoke detectors are required to be hard wired 120 volt but also they must be with built in battery back up.

Hope this helps

Wg

[Anonymous]

WG,
I am a frequent visitor to your other site. That is how I kow enough to ask these questions.

The reason I want to wire the bathroom light from another GFI circuit is because I can't get new wiring from the GFI outlet in the bathroom to the light. I read the label on the light can and it says suitble for wet locations. I have decided to install the light just outside the shower area to be safe and have it on the GFI circuit. I would rather be safe than sorry.

I also run a ground inside EMT. I have seen EMT come apart too often and the ground fail. I see this all the time on fire alarm systems where my experience comes from. Most often on the flex connection to the detector.

Since you have to tie the 120 volt smoke detectors together. I will run them on their own circuit. Its only some extra pipe and wire. I am saving a lot on labor anyway.

Again, thanks for your time.

Tom

[Wgoodrich]

Good Luck and let us know how you come out on your project.

Wg