ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Will an AFCI work with the K&T or for that matter the old 2 wire romex? Baring any neutral sharing or GFs.
I see no reason why it should not. The only question is what exactly could cause a parallel arc in K&T construction.Will an AFCI work with the K&T or for that matter the old 2 wire romex? Baring any neutral sharing or GFs.
Will an AFCI work with the K&T or for that matter the old 2 wire romex? Baring any neutral sharing or GFs.
Their information shows that 85% of the dwelling unit fires that are said to be of electrical origin occur in dwellings that are least 20 years old. That is the reason why you will not see a big reduction in dwelling unit electrical fires for many years, and that assumes that the AFCI can prevent the typical dwelling unit electrical fire....
The CPSC has remarked that the frequency of fires in residential electrical systems is disproportionately higher in homes that are more than 40 years old. The CPSC also estimates that half of the home fires reported each year could be prevented by AFCI protection.
Will an AFCI work with the K&T or for that matter the old 2 wire romex? Baring any neutral sharing or GFs.
Of course... In fact, existing homes with antiquated wiring systems are most vulnerable to arcing-faults.
I have not, since that time, know or heard of ONE insurance company backing AFCI technology for K&T protection~RJ~
Insurance companies are demanding K&T removal with the threat of policy cancellation
Many states are also following suit.
As far back as 16 years ago i made a strong argument for AFCI protected K&T (as well as it's tagged on BX)
This was based on manufacturers claims
Since that time i've informed many distraught customers to pursue this 'fix'
I have not, since that time, know or heard of ONE insurance company backing AFCI technology for K&T protection
That said, i have not yet referred them all to the NEMA AFCI task force and/or CSPC members , perhaps they could grace us with an 800 #?
~RJ~
K&T is NOT a problem. In fact 3 far greater issues exist:
1. Single stranded aluminum wiring
2. Early cloth NM that often has insulation that becomes brittle and fails.
3. BX cable. It has no bonding strip, and during a fault becomes an in wall heater.
And AFCIs are a great solution to all these wiring method problems as well...
Down with AFCI's .
Bring back the Edison Fuse .
Don
1. Single stranded aluminum wiring
And AFCIs are a great solution to all these wiring method problems as well...
Down with AFCI's .
Bring back the Edison Fuse .
Don
Fuses actually offer arc fault protection in some cases :
http://paceforensic.com/pdfs/Circuit_Breakers_The_Myth_of_Safety.pdf
Many people started to consider fuses unsafe but that was not the problem.
The problem with fuses is they were to darned easy to tamper with.
I have been in homes where every fuse was a 30 amp.
I overherd a sales person at HD trying to sell a homeowner a 30 amp fuse because her 20 amp fuse keeps blowing.
With the right fuses installed a fuse panel is perfectly safe.
And AFCIs are a great solution to all these wiring method problems as well...
Im willing to bet that even with 30amp fuses its still safe.
I don't know about that. I had to rewire a house that had 30 amp fuses but it was a strange situation. They had hooked the circuits up much like a British ring circuit. one circuit hooked up to two seperate fuses ( one at each end of the circuit). I don't know if this was an accident or if they ment to do it that way. There were two circuits done that way and a lot of melted insulation.
There was smoke but no real fire. It was summer, the wiring was 1930s vintage and that burned rubber smell was something else.
I don't know about that. I had to rewire a house that had 30 amp fuses but it was a strange situation. They had hooked the circuits up much like a British ring circuit. one circuit hooked up to two seperate fuses ( one at each end of the circuit). I don't know if this was an accident or if they ment to do it that way. There were two circuits done that way and a lot of melted insulation.
There was smoke but no real fire. It was summer, the wiring was 1930s vintage and that burned rubber smell was something else.