Just had a service call today on a arc-fault breaker we put in 6 month ago on a service up grade ( panel, all new wiring, new switches, new receptacles ). It seems the arc-fault keeps tripping. They reset it and it trips with the hour or within 4 hours. There is only 7 receptacles on this circuit. The only thing plug in is a clock and a old fan. We check all our connections in the attic and tighten the screws in the panel. We reset the breaker and told them to call us if it happens again. Well four hours later and they just called. Before I go open the seven recptacles I thought I post somthing here for some ideas. I think it the fan but not sure what could it be.
Arc-Fault breaker
- Thread starter guschash
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Logan, Utah
I agree, it could very well be the fan. Has the customer unplugged the fan and reset the breaker to see if it will trip without the fan on the circuit?
Chris
Chris
- Location
- Logan, Utah
My guess would be that it is not an arc but more likely an intermittent accidental neutral to ground connection, that the AFCI breaker is seeing as a ground fault.
Chris
Chris
beanland
Senior Member
- Location
- Vancouver, WA
Fan
Fan
If the fan has an SCR speed control or is an old universal motor with brushes, it could be the source of the false trips. Unplug the fan, reset the AFCI and see what happens. If nothing is plugged in and the AFCI trips, the problem is in the wiring or receptacles.
Maybe the fan has an intermittant connection?
If the problem goes away, the customer has defective equipment and you avoid the service call.
Does the AFCI just randomly trip or is the customer doing something when the AFCI trips?
Fan
If the fan has an SCR speed control or is an old universal motor with brushes, it could be the source of the false trips. Unplug the fan, reset the AFCI and see what happens. If nothing is plugged in and the AFCI trips, the problem is in the wiring or receptacles.
Maybe the fan has an intermittant connection?
If the problem goes away, the customer has defective equipment and you avoid the service call.
Does the AFCI just randomly trip or is the customer doing something when the AFCI trips?
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
If you did the upgrade 6 mo ago and the AFCI has just lately started triping ask what has changed. 6 mo ago they would not have needed the fan and I agree it may well be the problem
I had the same problem about a year ago. luckily i had my electrical plan with me so i knew how the wiring was running. the problem was we pushed the receptacle back into the box and the bare EGC made contact with the grounded screw (neutral). it was not a solid contact so it was a intermittent tripping but was enough to make the AFCI trip. and the way that i found that, was by going to each receptacle and hitting it with my hand to make it move/jiggle.
Edward
Edward
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
This could be the breaker. I recently had a job that I put in 5 combination ark fault breakers manufactured by a very prominant company that sells load centers that I have used for years. All 5 were tripping at random. At first I thought there was something wrong in the wiring and so I checked each circuit, and the system wiring. I unplugged everything on the receptacle circuits removed the wires from the afci breakers, and megger checked them, all readings good. Then I replaced them all with new breakers that I picked up a different supply house. No More Problems Reported. I've since switched from that company to buying another panel brand entirely, and I'm not going back to the old one again. The new ones I am using have indicator led's that tell what kind of trip if one does happen. I bet everybody knows what brand I am dumping, and what brand I am picking up now.....
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
This could be the breaker. I recently had a job that I put in 5 combination ark fault breakers manufactured by a very prominant company that sells load centers that I have used for years. All 5 were tripping at random. At first I thought there was something wrong in the wiring and so I checked each circuit, and the system wiring. I unplugged everything on the receptacle circuits removed the wires from the afci breakers, and megger checked them, all readings good. Then I replaced them all with new breakers that I picked up a different supply house. No More Problems Reported. I've since switched from that company to buying another panel brand entirely, and I'm not going back to the old one again. The new ones I am using have indicator led's that tell what kind of trip if one does happen. I bet everybody knows what brand I am dumping, and what brand I am picking up now.....
No, I don't know what brands you are talking about. Fill me in.
My wifes vacum, a power miterbox, new shop vac, old shop vac, and small dorm type frig trip the CH BR style combination AFCIs in our new house. They all work on GFCI protected circuits. I suspect the klixon device in the old frig is guilty but universal type motors and AFCIs just don't mix.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
We had small fan that we used in our old shop. Switching it on/off and speed to speed would "signal" a hi $ electric heat thermostat to cycle briefly. Line filters didn't help and nothing else was affected so we just left it alone. I can imagine that fan would play hell with an AFCI.
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
All lies, AFCIs have been perfected and if they are tripping you are in imminent danger. :roll:
------ these breskers go bad and nussiance trip all thr time.Why do the makers change them out for no cost if they are not junk?
Last edited by a moderator:
Ok just got back from checking all 7 receptacles. The last one I checked, the hot wire pulled out. I fixed it, turn circuit on, plug the fan back in and told them to call if it trips again. I am crossing my fingers. The only thing left would be to change the arc-fault. If it holds the rest of the day, I would say I found the problem. I'll keep everyone posted.
back-stabbed ?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I'm sure he feels that way.
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Or maybe a staple driven into the NM too tight (sometimes, these things just do what they are supposed to do)? :-?
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Hope for a bad AFCI.
- Status