cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
- Occupation
- Electrician - but not by NC Law.
Well, I finally installed 10 AFCI Breakers in a residential setting.
While some worked as planned there were two that would not clear right away.
One was in one bedroom on the very last part of a series of devices, I couldn’t clear a light switch to luminary,
I had to redo this end of the circuit to clear.
I could only assume a nail or sheet rock screw through the hot and the neutral, the neutral and ground both read clear,
the hot to neutral toned on ohms on an open end test!
The second failure was a little more complex! It was a crossed neutral in a multi-circuit boxs, which in
conjunction was between three different luminary circuits!
What we found was the point of fault which turned out to be a 120V on a neutral!
While we were about half way through the fight we had some luminaries blinking or trying to fire from this fired
up neutral, these where CFL’s.
The original service was running on regular breakers and while I didn’t notice the firing of others circuits and lights,
it was noticeable as we tried to fix this situation.
The first problem was not labeled neutrals in the switch boxes, the second problem was that someone didn’t remember,
or maintain the difference between the numbers 9,6 & 2 on all the circuits.
Good luck in the future, Lady’s and Gentleman, while you can apply the 50% rule! You’ll have to begin all your best tools and a clear mind of thought when searching and tracing out your AFCI Circuits!....
While some worked as planned there were two that would not clear right away.
One was in one bedroom on the very last part of a series of devices, I couldn’t clear a light switch to luminary,
I had to redo this end of the circuit to clear.
I could only assume a nail or sheet rock screw through the hot and the neutral, the neutral and ground both read clear,
the hot to neutral toned on ohms on an open end test!
The second failure was a little more complex! It was a crossed neutral in a multi-circuit boxs, which in
conjunction was between three different luminary circuits!
What we found was the point of fault which turned out to be a 120V on a neutral!
While we were about half way through the fight we had some luminaries blinking or trying to fire from this fired
up neutral, these where CFL’s.
The original service was running on regular breakers and while I didn’t notice the firing of others circuits and lights,
it was noticeable as we tried to fix this situation.
The first problem was not labeled neutrals in the switch boxes, the second problem was that someone didn’t remember,
or maintain the difference between the numbers 9,6 & 2 on all the circuits.
Good luck in the future, Lady’s and Gentleman, while you can apply the 50% rule! You’ll have to begin all your best tools and a clear mind of thought when searching and tracing out your AFCI Circuits!....
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