This article was posted 07/09/2008 and is most likely outdated.

Trouble Shooting AFCI Problems
 

 

Topic - AFCI
Subject - Trouble Shooting AFCI Problems

July 9, 2008
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Trouble Shooting AFCI Problems

 

ImageMike, over the course of my teaching career, I have found that many residential electricians find troubleshooting a circuit equipped with Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) protection a challenging task. After guiding numerous contractors how to troubleshoot the circuit, once in a very great while I still get a phone call or email indicating that no matter what the electrician does, they can't get a particular load to work on an AFCI-protected circuit. In the past, I would suggest trying the load on another AFCI circuit in the home or replacing the AFCI with a GFCI to understand if the circuit was experiencing a ground fault or grounded neutral in an attempt to understand if the circuit is tripping due to an arcing fault or a ground fault.

 

Most of us are familiar with trouble shooting a ground fault condition due to a GFCI tripping so if the circuit trips the GFCI, the issue in the circuit becomes a familiar trouble shooting task. Other courses of suggested action may include isolating the equipment that causes the circuit to trip or try replacing the equipment.

 

The initial stories of nuisance tripping with the AFCI quickly disappeared back in 2002 and the manufacturers pointed to the workmanship issues with regard to wiring practice as being the biggest issue tripping the AFCI. However, there are also those that are familiar with AFCIs finding real issues such as insulation damage on the wiring in recessed lighting. So there is convincing evidence that an AFCI tripping simply indicates that a ground fault or arc-fault exists and that the AFCI is doing its job.

 

Having said that, I have heard of a load or an appliance that simply would not work with an AFCI circuit breaker. The AFCI circuit breaker manufacturers are very interested in hearing about any evidence of these issues and have developed a one-stop means for reporting an AFCI tripping issue through the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) website. The electrician can visit http://afcisafety.org/report.html and provide NEMA and the manufacturers information of these instances for further investigation. I understand that your concern will be emailed directly to the manufacturer of the AFCI reported to be an issue and that each manufacturer will respond accordingly seeking the necessary information to understand unique findings.

 

Click here to view a copy of the latest Square D AFCI trouble shooting document for AFCI circuits that may provide you with an additional tool to resolve an issue you may have with an AFCI protected circuit.

 

Ryan Jackson, Electrical Inspector

NEC Consultant to Mike Holt Enterprises, Inc.

 

 

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Comments
  • Concerning AFCI breakers, I found that they are to sensitive for any kind of motor that is on that circuit, including ceiling fans.

    Scott
    Reply to this comment

  • i have a new services upgrade for 12 unit aparment with new meter banck rate 600amp each of aparment with 100amp main bk i like to know if a can use #4 or #3 FOR each of the unit table 310 15b applay only until 400amp

    mario valdes
    Reply to this comment

  • After a recent lightning storm in a new condo developement a number of residential 3 passenger elevators had damage from the storm,, a telephone in the elevator was burned,, a few panelboards were damaged, etc,, The condo itself has the normal water main and ground rod grounding,, MY QUESTION should the elevator have its own isolated ground rod besides the normal grounding thru the electrical wiring system,, thank you

    BOB L.
    Reply to this comment

  • what is the big problem either you know your job or dont I guess we are talking about the same caliber of "new electricians " that couldnt tell wire size until they color coded the romex. Are these the same ones who dont know that a romex to box connector is not used as an anchoring point. Yes the type that has 2 screws on it

    Master Electrician 27 yrs in the trade

    Glenn Hewett
    Reply to this comment

  • Both Square D and CH had product recalls on AFCI's. CH AFCI's had a white CH on the product, after the trouble the name was changed to EATON and are yellow.

    gerald cherry
    Reply to this comment

  • Many electrican's have a habit of not tighten the wire nuts or they are careless in placing the grounding conductor in the box which will cause nuiscance tripping. Haste makes wasted time (money) in finish work in the electrical area. This is not to say that equipment connected is not faulty and can cause nuisance trippng.

    Robert E. Lee
    Reply to this comment

  • we had one arc fault circuit that also picked up the master bath. We narrowed it down to the exhaust fan and refed it from another circuit. While I'm commenting, one question: is it required to put the master bath on the arc fault?

    Rick Ross
    Reply to this comment

  • The biggest problem I have encountered with the AFCI protection is if you have multiple circuits in a switch box, like 3 gang to 8 gang say, If the neutrals mistakingly get tied together with a neutral that doesn't belong the AFCI will not hold. good luck.

    M LONG
    Reply to this comment
  • Reply from: George A.   
    it sounds like to me that no one in the trade understands the importance of keeping the neutrals separated from circuit to circuit, or proper phasing when one neutral shares more than one circuit, no mater how long you you been in the trade if you don't understand it you need to be retrained by some one who does, overloading neutrals is dangerous and someone is going to get hurt!
    Reply to George A.


  • My biggest gripe with AFCI's is failures that occur MONTHS after they are installed. This is not uncommon. I just returned a wad of AFCI's to the supply house (12) accumulated over the past couple of months. It isn't an instalation issue, because the problem goes away when a new one is installed.

    Daniel Smith
    Reply to this comment

  • Ryan brings our attention to points that almost can't be given enough attention. 1. Combination AFCIs are ground fault detectors as well as arc fault detectors but they cannot be used to replace the required GFCI because the combination AFCI ground fault detection allows too great a fault current to protect against electrocution. 2. Multi circuit neutrals connected at a single wire nut can be trouble not only for the AFCI but as a service booby trap. Before removing this wire nut joining neutrals all the circuits using this common neutral point should be de-energized.

    Great information! a saver.

    Bob
    Reply to this comment

  • A common misconception is that a combination AFCI offers GFCI protection as well as AFCI protection. This is not true; They offer AFCI protection in cases of both series and parallel faults, not ground faults. The IAEI has a brief and informative article at: http://www.iaei.org/subscriber/magazine/08_a/unseld.html

    Ed
    Reply to this comment

  • A common misconception is that a combination AFCI offers GFCI protection as well as AFCI protection. This is not true; They offer AFCI protection in cases of both series and parallel faults, not ground faults. The IAEI has a brief and informative article at: http://www.iaei.org/subscriber/magazine/08_a/unseld.html

    Ed
    Reply to this comment

  • When AFCIs were first added to the code I was skeptical. They seemed like just one more way to pick the pockets of electricians. We were told there would be AFCI receptacles just like the GFCI receptacles. Now it is several years later and I have not seen the first AFCI receptacle. Has anyone seen the promised AFCI receptacles?

    PJ
    Reply to this comment

  • Perhaps this is a dumb question, but what component of the current drawn by an arc fault is the AFCI reacting to?

    Thanks,

    Mark Prairie
    Reply to this comment

  • I also noticed an afci will trip if you splice the neautral wire into another neautral of a different circuit at a junction box

    gary nasin
    Reply to this comment

  • Finally, a detailed method that can be easily applied to troubleshoot a problem that affects MANY electricians. Mike and his team has done it again!

    Fred C
    Reply to this comment

  • What reporting forum should you use when discovery of abnormal heating of the breaker is detected? I have a project, installed by another that has 6 AFCI breakers, 3 to opposite each other in position, that are warm to the touch. Load measurement is variable from 0.01 to 0.03 amp in the middle of the day when the home owner or family is elsewhere. Another AFCI located at another pole position is cool. Other breakers (non AFCI, are cool to the touch). Siemens representative was asked for input but remains unaddressed at this time. Any ideas as to what should be looked towards?

    Peter Bowers
    Reply to this comment

  • Are existing apartments required to have circuit breakers replaced with AFCI's if the apartments are undergoing a renovation? And if yes, what if existing 3-wire romex contains two circuits sharing neutral and ground?

    Larry W
    Reply to this comment


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