![]() |
![]() |
AFCI - Mr Brown Responds and More
From Mr. Brown:
Mike, the cost figures for an AFCI in my negative
comment as published in the NEC ROP was based on the written
wholesale cost I procured from three different distributors in
three different locations at the time I wrote the comment. These
costs were (and may still be) as listed in the manufacturer's
catalogs. As for going to Home Depot to purchase an AFCI, my
experience shows the electrical company performing the
installation in new construction does not frequent Home Depot.
They will use a large electrical distributor whose prices are
usually not as low.
As for the fire loss figures, they came directly from NFPA. If
you would like I can send you a copy of all of the materials.
After looking at all of the facts, the installation of AFCI's as
required by the NEC, will never be cost effective. It would seem
it has been a push by the manufacturers to recoup the millions of
dollars in R & D monies they have invested over the past many
years. This is especially relevant considering the consolidation
of the many manufactures to just a few in the past 7-8 years. You
should have been at the ROC meeting in San Diego in December 1997.
You would then understand my point.
If you have any questions, please contact me at any of the
numbers listed below.
Lawrence Brown, CBO
5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600
Falls Church, VA 22041-3401
703-931-4533 x15
Fax: 703-379-1546
lbrown@intlcode.org
Response No. 1
Mike, I suggest you reconsider your apology. Your 08/20/2002
Newsletter contained only an excerpt from the NFPA 2001 May
Association Technical Meeting, National Electrical Code Committee
Report on Proposals. This report contains proposed
amendments for the 2002 National Electrical Code. The
first paragraph of your newsletter referenced the proposal
submitted, that is, "Proposal #2-106, Page 129 of the Report
of Proposals (ROP) for the 2002 NEC".
If the writer of the complaint were to visit that
document, he/she would see the "EXPLANATION OF NEGATIVE:
BROWN: is an explanation of a Panel member's vote. This
is history! It was published in June 2000.
Mr. Brown, the author of proposal # 2-106, was a member
of National Electrical Code Panel No. 2. His full name is
Lawrence Brown. He represented the National Association of Home
Builders. He submitted a proposal to delete Section 210-12 of the
1999 National Electrical Code. If accepted, the
requirements to install arc-fault circuit interrupters in
dwelling units would have been removed from the Code.
His fellow Panel members rejected his proposal. He wrote "EXPLANATION
OF NEGATIVE: BROWN: to explain why he did not agree
with his fellow Panel members.
The writer of the complaint challenged the list price of
an arc-fault circuit interrupter mentioned in Mr. Brown's
explanation of his negative vote on the Panel's action. The March
2000 Square Digest, page 1-3, shows a 15 A, type QO-AFI (arc-fault
circuit interrupter) circuit breaker with a list price of $160.
This is the list price Mr. Brown quoted.
While one can debate the accuracy of data contained in
Mr. Brown's explanation of his negative vote, inclusion of
history in your newsletter is acceptable. One may not like
portions of history, but in this country freedom to read history
is a right we all enjoy.
Again Mike, no apologies are required from you.
Frank Robertson, PE
Consulting Engineer, Electrical
AMEC, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia 30301
Phone: 404-370-3372
Fax: 404-370-3646
frank.robertson@amec.com
Response
No. 2
I disagree with the guy that said you were providing
false information in your newsletters. I am an electrical
contractor, I called Home Depot and they didn't know what an AFCI
breaker was. I went to a wholesaler and purchased one for $ 85.00.
That was for a 20 amp AFCI breaker. The above prices you quoted
are very much in the norm.
Thanks for your time,
Eric Hill, CASCUBADIVER4@YAHOO.COM
Assured Electric Inc., Buena Park, California
Copyright © 2002 Mike Holt Enterprises,Inc.
1-888-NEC-CODE (1-888-632-2633)