Alabama homes will still be required to meet standards to prevent fires caused by arcing circuits — even if in some cases, they will be the lesser-standards of seven years ago.
The Alabama Energy and Residential Codes Board (AERC) approved the publication of several amendments for the Residential Building Code on Thursday, the most important being the inclusion of the arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) requirement.
The amendment requires AFCIs to be installed in all homes, but the ruling still leaves it up to the city or county to decide how many should be installed in each home.
AFCIs prevent electrical fires by breaking the circuit when it detects an arcing fault or spark.
In the previous building code, two sections concerning the location and protection of AFCIs were deleted by the AERC Board. After the publication of the code lacking the AFCI requirement, electricians, firefighters and burn victim Charlie Donaghe protested the move during a public hearing Aug. 26.
That testimony was delivered to the board, and the section has now been completely revised.
While it doesn’t specifically mention AFCIs, it says homes must be built following the 2008 NFPA 70, the 2008 National Electric Code or any subsequent editions. The NEC is updated every three years and every version included — 2008, 2011, 2014 — requires AFCIs.
It’s also the primary code used by electricians.
“This takes care of most of our issues with the electrical components that were duly noted during public comment,” said AERC Board Chairman Shon Richey about the amendment.
Board member Randall Whorton emphasized exactly what the amendment meant for those who fought to retain AFCIs.
“That (amendment) specifically retains arc fault circuit breakers,” Whorton said.
The choice of which code to follow raises some questions, however.
Although each NEC requires AFCIs, the 2008 NEC does not require an AFCI in the kitchen or the laundry room. The 2014 NEC added requirements for those rooms, but Home Builders Association Regional Affairs Director Jason Reid said the ability to choose is what the more rural areas need.
“It gives you a range to fail into so you’re not forcing the cities that have not bumped up their codes, you’re not forcing them up a road they’re not ready to go on,” Reid said after the meeting. “Everybody’s on a level playing field. Cities are going to be happy, counties are going to be happy, so I think everybody’s in good shape.”
Donny Cook, chief electrical inspector at Shelby County Department of Development Services, was one of the more vocal opponents of the last code lacking AFCI requirements. After the meeting Thursday, Cook said he’s unsure why everybody is not held to the most current (2014) edition of the NEC.
“If that text was changed and said anything from 2014 and subsequent editions of the NEC, then you would have the most current requirements in place,” Cook said. “Home builders don’t want that, because with each update of the (NEC), arc fault requirements expand and more rooms are added. From 2008 to 2014, you would add AFCI protection to two more rooms that the average taxpayer in Alabama is not going to get because we’re back in the 2008 edition.”
To be fair, the onus is on the cities and counties to decide which edition to adopt. Chilton County and Bibb County don’t even adopt code, and Cook said he’s worried about taxpayers in areas lacking code or enforcement of code.
Still, Cook said the decision is definitely an improvement.
“It’s better than what we had before, because it has arc fault requirements in it,” Cook said.
With the publication of the amended Residence Building Code, there will once again be 35 days available for the public to comment on it before it is voted on and signed into law.
Should the code pass, AFCIs will be required in homes. How many will be put in is apparently a choice for local government to make.