Spark Stopper

By BUILDER Magazine Staff. Arc faults, dangerous electrical arcs caused by damaged wiring, cause many house fires. Beginning this year, the National Electric Code will require the installation of arc-fault circuit interrupters or AFCIs in bedroom circuits. That may just be the beginning. Last year, Vermont began requiring that AFCIs protect the entire house; other states will likely follow. Electrical device manufacturer Cutler-Hammer figured that where ground fault, or GFCI protection is also required, it made sense to combine the two types of protection in one device. Its new AFCI/GFCI circuit breaker (www.cutler-hammer.com) is the first such breaker to be certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). It’s available in 15- and 20-amp one- and two-pole units.