AFCI in an outbuilding on a residential property.

[electrofelon]

I don't hug trees anymore ... I also only hug power poles !

I hug trees frequently! Remember:

Fear not if you work hard and your rewards are few
The mighty oak was once a nut like you

 

[curt swartz]

I have a bolt on panel at my house, a Siemens P1.

But as I remember it only has wimpy 250 amp buss bars.

I have a 400 amp NQOB after my meter main. I know you hate SquareD though.

 

[Little Bill]

should be!

You had me until I saw all that Romex!

 

[electrofelon]

But as I remember it only has wimpy 250 amp buss bars.

I have a 400 amp NQOB after my meter main. I know you hate SquareD though.

Nice! You are really not messing around. P1's are available with 400 amp busbars, but if I could go back id bump up to a P2 with 600A to beat you

Actually I am a bit dramatic sometimes when I say I hate sq D. I do really like their I-line stuff. My main reason for not liking them is because they were the ones that lobbied to get the surge suppressor in the code.....and their long AFCI's are kinda annoying.

 

[electrofelon]

You had me until I saw all that Romex!

That romex is just running temp lights. I probably will geek out and use MC or EMT for the permanent wiring.

 

[norcal]

should be!

How high off the floor is the main breaker? Seems to be on the high side.

 

[electrofelon]

How high off the floor is the main breaker? Seems to be on the high side.

Pretty sure it's compliant, but even if not, the NEC/NFPA does not step foot on my property

 

[Vinny B]

Instead of $ 400.00 dollar bolt on breakers why can't you install AFC blank devices next to the panel.

 

[Rex Hungerford]

I wish I could nipple a wireway to the bottom of the isolation transformer and drop 10 x 20A AFCI din rail mounted breakers fed with a 100A main that terminated into a comb bus bar. I was quoted the same price to do this as a whole panel.

 

[Joethemechanic]

should be!

That's sissy single phase stuff Pfffffft.

That's just a feeder to one of my subpanels. Real men have 3 phase in their homes.





I live upstairs like a true manly man

 

[tom baker]

To the OP, you could use an AFCI receptacle at the first outlet from your panel

 

[electrofelon]

That's sissy single phase stuff Pfffffft.

That's just a feeder to one of my subpanels. Real men have 3 phase in their ho

I live upstairs like a true manly man

I wish I had three phase here. The POCO three phase is about 3 miles away.

 

[Joethemechanic]

I wish I had three phase here. The POCO three phase is about 3 miles away.

You could generate your own. Broken gensets are cheap. Most times there isn't much wrong with them. Then you could have 480 three phase, even change your frequency if you like

 

[AdamTeeScott]

CAFCI are devices that are said to detect and clear both series and parallel arcing faults. The original AFCIs were branch circuit and feeder AFCIs. The combination AFCIs have been required starting with the 2011 code. Note this is not to be confused with a dual function AFCI which provides combination AFCI protection and GFCI protection.

Just added this question for my Code Refresher CEU students so we can discuss it. Here's a good graphic I found from Leviton showing both parallel and series arcs that AFCIs protect against.

 

[ptonsparky]

Just added this question for my Code Refresher CEU students so we can discuss it. Here's a good graphic I found from Leviton showing both parallel and series arcs that AFCIs protect against.
View attachment 2565492

.... supposedly protect against.

 

[Joethemechanic]

.... supposedly protect against.

I'd love to know how that thing knows the difference between a switch closing or a brushed AC/DC motor and a series arc

 

[retirede]

I'd love to know how that thing knows the difference between a switch closing or a brushed AC/DC motor and a series arc

In many cases, it can’t.