AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

[ka6chp]

Recently, in the last few months now that some inspectors are doing what we pay them to do, I have had homeowners and contractors asking for AFCI bkrs for old FPE (NA & NC bkrs), Zinsco ( R and Q bkrs) and ITE pushmatic (P--series). This nearly always happens after a renovation has been hade to a residential location,(e.g. new bedroom(s) ) and there already is an existing 200-amp load centre, usually in decent condition. Is anyone aware of the existence of AFCI breakers for these applications ? (Please, no chinese --- UL, CSA, or CE labels preferred). Thanks, Jim Green, somewhere in la-la land.

Edited to remove a couple of derogatory words and to change the case so the post can be easily read. Ka6chp, please turn off the caps. It seems like you are shouting when they are on and it is difficult to read. Thanks, Charlie

[ December 11, 2004, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: charlie ]

 

[templdl]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

Looks like you'll be adding a subpanel.

 

[tortuga]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

I have been doing research on Zinsco and FPE "stab-loc" for our company policy on working on those panels. It probably would be a good idea for your company to adopt a policy so one worker dosent say there ok and another says the customer will burn up in flames etc.
I ran across this http://www.schneider-electric.ca/www/ecat/documents/b_section.pdf
It seems like Stab-loc is still used in Canada however when you visit Schneider electrics corporate site they have announced a recall of their square D AFCI breakers and Stab-loc AFCI. It also remains to be seen if AHJ will accept these new Canadian stab loc's
We have on our web site a little about zinsco and stab-loc because we get sooo many calls about them.
Not a single customer has paid us the $200 to evaluate a panel and then hundreds for specialty breakers, they alwayse go for a service change. No pushmatic or zinsco AFCI's
I had an inspector in California offer to exempt any panels that dident have AFCI's available however it is the exact oppisit in Oregon. Link to our page

 

[allenwayne]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

Tottuga great find a little shipping/handling alot of problems solved if not inspected.
Did I say that nahhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[peter d]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

What code are you following that requires AFCI's to be retrofitted into an exsisting application?
Or are these just customers asking for them? It sounds like the inspectors are making them retrofit AFCI's?

You might want to inform your customers that that AFCI's are not all they're cracked up to be.

 

[luke warmwater]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

Originally posted by ka6chp:
This nearly always happens after a renovation has been hade to a residential location,(e.g. new bedroom(s) ) and there already is an existing 200-amp load centre,

Sounds like a legitimate request to me.

Changing the loadcenter or adding a subpanel sounds like the only way to go in these cases, as I know of no AFCI breakers for the brands you mentioned.

 

[Jhr]

Re: AFCI BKRS FOR OLDER LOAD CENTRES...

Changing the loadcenter or adding a subpanel sounds like the only way to go in these cases, as I know of no AFCI breakers for the brands you mentioned.

That would be the way to go, I also have never seen or heard of AFCI breakers in FPE, but just to give you an idea an FPE GFI breaker is very, very $$$$$$$$$ pricey, reconditioned my cost around $95.00 dollars .