We have three projects that have finished under new electrical code require arc faults for every breaker.
At each project, we are at or near a 50% failure rate for the breakers.
How is your success rate with these new breakers?
Bruce
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Replies
What do you mean by "Fail"?
I just redid my electrical last year with arc fault, no problems.
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
The breakers continuously trip even though circuit tests out just fine. Swap out a new breaker and it works just fine.
With a 50% failure rate--and an application of Zeno's Paradox--you'll never have 100% of them working!
Thanks David,
Just what I need- a new paradox to go along with the economic downturn in a new world order when all I was looking for was a paradigm shift. I think I might be at a tipping point.
What brand did you install? I used the Murray brand and had 100% success. They are made by Seimans. 24 circuits, most were ACFI.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Square D and GE
I don't know about the rest of you, but I installed AFCI when I built my house because it had just become mandatory in bed rooms. A true PITA (& I don't mean a type of middle eastern bread.) Every time a light bulb burns out, they function!DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
I have to say my experience is very different from yours. The only time mine trip is when I'm doing something I should have turned the breaker off for anyway - like I'm working on a circuit I thought was already off. Then I only realize it afterwards when i look at the panel - no dramatics.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
My jurisdiction finally adopted the 2008 NEC. With exceptions (thank God!) AFCIs are still only required in the bedrooms. I feel your pain brother.........
I've had one fail last month. I dont' remember ever having a breaker fail in my entire career so obviously we are in a new era in the world of breakers. .
So does that make house insurance cheaper. I burn wood for heat and they are killing me on the cost, June this yr it will 3600, that dollars.
I believe they were brought into code as an additional safety feature, so I guess if all interior circuits are dead because the arc fault has tripped, your house is indeed safer except for the smoke detection because that is also on an arc fault.
Smoke detector has battery back-up. I cut into a wire at my house awhile back. Turns out it was on an AFCI. It arced, not as bad but it did. The cost of wiring a house significantly goes up when circuits can't share neutrals. Here's some useless info (for some of you): I was told that you can share a neutral on an AFCI only if you upsize the neutral. Now I am not a journeyman, so I don't get to make up alot of panels and I haven't tested that theory, but it makes perfect sense to me. I was told that it would pass inspection.
The smoke Detectors in my house are on their own circut/with battery backup also
A good approach is to put smokies on a circuit shared with lighting that you commonly use. That way there is little chance the breaker for the smokies will be tripped without your knowing it.
Make absolutely sure that you're not sharing a nuetral across circuits somewhere. They will nuisance trip like you've never seen if you're not isolating your neutrals.