210.12(C) AFCI Protection. Guest Rooms and Guest Suites.

AFCI protection is now required for all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets and devices installed in guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels.
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AFCI protection is now required for all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets and devices installed in guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels.

Code Change Summary: A new code section requires Arc-fault circuit-interrupter (AFCI) protection for guest rooms and guest suites.

AFCI protection is now required in guest rooms and guest suites. If a potential hazard exists and protection against series and parallel arcing faults is needed in certain areas of a normal dwelling unit, then the same hazard exists in a hotel guest room. Especially with all the abuse that the only available receptacle takes with each visit by a new guest.

Here’s the interesting question: Does the hotel room bathroom receptacle need AFCI protection? The new code language requires “all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets and devices installed in guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels” to have AFCI protection. Does the bathroom stand alone or is it considered part of the guest room?

Requiring AFCI protection for guest rooms and guest suites will help to reduce the number of fires caused by faulty or improper use of the premises wiring system.

Below is a preview of Article 210. See the actual NEC® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2017 NEC® edition of NFPA 70.

2017 Code Language:

N 210.12(C) Guest Rooms and Guest Suites. All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets and devices installed in guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A)(1) through (6).

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210.12(C) AFCI Protection. Guest Rooms and Guest Suites.

Below is a Real Question from our Electrical Continuing Education Courses for Electrical License Renewal:

Which of the following is true of branch circuits in hotel guest rooms?

A: They all require GFCI protection.
B: A 15-amp, 120-volt branch circuit supplying a smoke detector in a hotel room does NOT require AFCI protection.
C: A 15-amp, 120-volt branch circuit supplying an entryway light switch does NOT require AFCI protection.
D: A 15-amp, 120-volt branch circuit supplying a receptacle behind the TV must have AFCI protection.
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