Research on Electrical Home Wiring

This research will continue efforts to make electrical wiring in homes inherently safe, focusing on making the fire service, code officials, contractors, manufacturers and distributors, government agencies, and others aware of this technology and its life safety benefits (see United States Fire Administration Advocates Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Technology). Previous research has developed techniques for detecting and correcting hazards in electrical wiring in older homes. Results of past research efforts have been incorporated in relevant national-level consensus standards, such as the new NFPA 73 standard, Residential Electrical Maintenance.

Current Project Status:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) engineering staff submitted proposals for the 2008 National Electrical Code (PDF, 1.4 Mb) intended to reduce the risk of electrical wiring fires and will attend code-making panel meetings in January 2006 to support the proposals. One of the proposals involved expanding the application of arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) to bedrooms in existing homes when the electrical service is upgraded.
Using interagency funds provided by USFA, CPSC staff is in a partnership agreement with the Fire Protection Research Foundation, a non-profit organization associated with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), for the purpose of conducting a research study to develop more comprehensive field data on the condition of electrical wiring materials as installed in homes of various ages. An additional component of the study will include an analysis of investigations of fire incidents in which electrical system components were identified as the cause. Phase I of the project was completed in June, as documented in Residential Electrical System Aging Research Project Phase I Report. Phase II is currently under way.
With interagency funds provided by USFA, CPSC staff sponsored five on-site electrical fire safety seminars between 2001 and 2004. The courses were offered for free to local fire and building code officials as a grass roots education effort. The seminar covered the methods for inspecting and correcting serious wiring deficiencies in homes utilizing NFPA 73, the inspection code for existing dwellings. The seminars were held in Virginia, Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Each attendee was given a copy of NFPA 73, the CPSC Guide to Home Wiring Hazards, and a reference book covering information about AFCIs and ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).
In 2004, CPSC staff, in cooperation with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), updated the CPSC video, Wired for Safety, using interagency funds provided by USFA. This 12-minute videotape, which highlights the importance of electrical system inspection, maintenance and repair, was first produced in 1996. The update features Cliff Meidl, U.S. Olympic Team Flagbearer for the 2000 Sydney Games (Cliff fought back from a nearly fatal incident involving a buried power line and made the Olympic team as a kayaker) and includes a segment on AFCIs. The target audience for the videotape is consumers, building owners, electricians and public education groups. For a free copy of Wired for Safety (in VHS or CD-ROM format), consumers can send an e-mail to info@cpsc.gov or call (301) 504-7908.
On September 23, 2003, CPSC staff and the National Association of State Fire Marshals hosted a forum, AFCIs: Getting the Word Out (PDF, 4.2 Mb). Manufacturers, electrical inspectors, electricians, retailers, fire officials and other interested parties were in attendance to discuss strategies to promote wider application of AFCIs as a means to reduce electrical fire hazards, particularly in older homes. The meeting was extremely well attended, and the discussions provided enlightenment on AFCI performance benefit facts versus myths and introduced several approaches to promoting AFCI use.