Arc breakers required for garage apartment?

[lep]

For the same garage job (see water heater post immediately before this post), I believe there needs to be arc breakers if people are going to sleep in the finished out second floor. In the upstairs of the garage (2nd story, 20x30'), the wiring can be divided up into zones, where each zone has its own breaker:

1. open area: recessed lights, ceiling fans, attic light, wall switches
2. open area: receptacles around 2nd floor (20x30' area).
3. kitchenette: microwave receptacle (not GFCI).
4. kitchenette: refridgerator receptacle (not GFCI), garbage disposal switch and receptacle, GFCI backsplash receptacle, lights over kitchenette.
5. bathroom: GFCI receptacle, switch, and light over sink, recessed light over camode.

Given the above zones, which need to be on an arc breaker? People will sleep in the living area, which will essentially be "crashing out" on a TV sofa. There is no bedroom, and no beds are used.

It could be coded as a game room, but someone said if people will sleep their then arc has to be used probably for the receptacles around the open area, and something else (which I forgot).

[Speedy Petey]

What codes cycle are you under?
Does your area even enforce AFCI requirements?

[HayZee518]

the reason they adopted the AFCI in bedrooms is because of picture placement on walls. many installations ran the romex up the stud, stapled. the homeowner put up a picture not knowing where the stud was and pierced the romex with a nail or screw. this created a high resistance area that maybe wouldn't trip a normal breaker but would heat up over time creating a hazard. the AFCI like a GFCI would trip upon this penetration.

[lep]

ok, zones #1 and #4 have some verticals between several wall switches and lights. The supply cable for Zone #4 for the kitchenette comes directly down a stud (way too far from the service box to run at the knee-high receptacle level) and splits into the various receptacles, and in fact runs all throughout the studs. When you think of it, installation of kitchen cabinets for the kitchenette (on floor below countertop, above for plates, etc.) will involve use of a lot of screws placed in the studs. If a GFCI breaker in the service box is used for this zone, and the system is hot when the cabinets are installed, we will know if anything gets hit with a screw or nail.

Thus, I will plan on using AFCI breakers in the service box for zones 1 and 4, and maybe for the open-area receptacles (zone #2) -- since the receptacle cables run horizontally and may be at risk when the sheetrockers do their work.

thx HayZee.