AFCI Everthing!

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Little Bill

Little Bill

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Tennessee NEC:2017
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Semi-Retired Electrician
PetrosA said:
One thing about AFCI I can't understand is this: How can an electronic circuit like what's used in AFCI breakers located in the main panel possibly be immune to multiple voltage spikes, either from the utility or from lighting (either direct hits or induced from nearby strikes)? Any electronic component you'd buy would come packaged in an anti-static bag to protect it during transport. MOVs and whole house surge protection are pretty hefty devices. What's magical about these breakers that makes them immune in spite of being located in the most vulnerable spot in the distribution system? Will they automatically shut off if the microprocessor gets damaged by overvoltage (like GFCIs are supposed to shut off when faulty)? Does anyone here have photos of an AFCI breaker teardown? I'd be curious to see the insides of one!
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They are not immune to lightning strikes! I had a sevice call last summer that had multiple outlets not working in the house.

After some questioning, it turns out all the outlets quit working during a storm.
All the affected outlets were AFCI protected. I was able to reset all but one of them.
I had to replace one of the AFCI breakers.

I didn't think about it at the time since it was a Saturday and I was on my 3rd or 4th service call along with an install, and dogged tired, but later I wished I had kept the breaker.

I would also liked to have dissected it to see what happened. Normally I would have just thrown it in the van, but there was a garbage can right under the panel, so I just chunked it in and left.:happysad:
 
ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
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EC - retired
capybara said:
maybe we should invent a GLFCI = glowing fault circuit interrupter
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Write up what you want it to do, get the requirement for them adopted, market them, make and test to a standard that may or may not include what marketing says they might do and finally have some guy in the field install and replace them for years into the future as the customer pays the bill.

Sounds like a deal to me.
 
ELA

ELA

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrical Test Engineer
PetrosA said:
One thing about AFCI I can't understand is this: How can an electronic circuit like what's used in AFCI breakers located in the main panel possibly be immune to multiple voltage spikes, either from the utility or from lighting (either direct hits or induced from nearby strikes)? Any electronic component you'd buy would come packaged in an anti-static bag to protect it during transport. MOVs and whole house surge protection are pretty hefty devices. What's magical about these breakers that makes them immune in spite of being located in the most vulnerable spot in the distribution system? Will they automatically shut off if the microprocessor gets damaged by overvoltage (like GFCIs are supposed to shut off when faulty)? Does anyone here have photos of an AFCI breaker teardown? I'd be curious to see the insides of one!
Click to expand...

Here is one:

They do have a small MOV inside but yes they are susceptible to various electrical interference.

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=111163&highlight=AFCI
 
peter d

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
Rather than improve the AFCI, electrical engineers should develop the time machine so we can go back in time and vigorously oppose this entire debacle when it started. :p
 
J

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
That's a good idea,I'd love to start watching the super bowl and nascar in black and white again.
 
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