The Product Guy

Jul 8 2009 1:44PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (11) |
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By Nick Bajzek

I doubt many of you remember, but I wrote about arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) gaining acceptance into the 2008 National Electric Code late in 2007. I didn’t get many comments on the site itself, but my phone was ringing off the hook for several days afterwards—apparently I touched a nerve by advocating AFCIs. Well, I still do. And those of you who don’t like them can go pound sand as far as I’m concerned…there, I’ve said my peace on the matter (to be fair, I got two calls from people saying they’re all in favor of them).

Anyways, there’s some good news tempered with some bad news—if I may borrow the Colbert Report’s “Tip of the Hat / Wag of the Finger” segment, now more than 25 states in the U.S. have expanded their requirement for AFCIs. Wisconsin and Nebraska, both of which never required them in the past, will soon have AFCI standards in place for all new homes. Tip of my hat to them.

Now comes the wag-of-my-finger part. My next-door neighbor Indiana is left as the only state in the country with no form of AFCI requirement whatsoever. Shame, shame.

If you’re still not sold on AFCIs, check out the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association page here. Hey, Indiana, check it out, too.