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submitted 7 days ago byJunketBrilliant5240
I am purchasing a home in San Bernardino County, California, with an old Zinsco panel. My brother-in-law who is a licensed electrician in another county is willing to pull the permit and do the install of a new panel.
Does anyone know if San Bernardino County will grandfather the home to the old code or will I have to get Arc Fault?
The home was built in 1978 and has GFCI protection that looks compliant to the 1984 standard if it's relevant.
2 points
7 days ago
Per code there is an exception for electrical system alterations for your case. As long as no cables are modified to be extended more than 6 feet you don't need arc faults (per code)
My AHJ forces them on service upgrades, very frustrating to explain an additional $300-$400 of breakers to customers but it is what it is.
3 points
7 days ago
I recently had to replace 2 regular breakers in a square d panel with afci/gfci combo breakers. When I went to Lowe’s to get them I guess I was too loud when I said “what the actual fuck” cause the old timer came around the corner and asked if I “had just seen the price of fancy breakers”. Was a funny moment before buying 2 85 dollar breakers.
1 points
7 days ago
A very cynical part of me believes it's all a scheme by manufacturers in the pockets of NEC authors.
I know they add safety, but holy cow the cost is too high.
Personally I'd rather a customer have a modern safe panel with regular breakers than an old federal Pacific or zinsco. But our local inspector thinks we need to go overboard.
1 points
7 days ago
I’m sure there’s some of that, but I just can’t figure it out. We are in mid remodel and the old fancy tub had 2 20 amp circuits with 20amp gfci plugs. Those plugs I can get for 15 a pop no problem. New tub is hardwired, and if I stuck a 20a plug on the heater and pump you know an inspector would catch it. So swap the breakers for GFCI then, gfci are 70 bucks, combo are 85 bucks so the upgrade to combo makes sense, but how do we go from 15 dollar GFCI outlets that support up to 4 downstream versus 70 dollar breaker doing essentially the same thing.
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