Afci keeps tripping help!

[hillbilly1]

Since any load applied trips the breaker, my money is on the wrong neutral is terminated on the AFCI breaker, it's easy to do in a resi panel because the cables are usually so close together, with multiple cables in the same clamp ect. Double check that it is comming from the same cable, and I think you will find your problem.

 

[ActionDave]

Actualy the breaker resets and holds until a load is applied.

That is almost always an indication of a parallel path for neutral current, assuming the load is not causing an arc.

Exactly. Thank you Don.

I'm predicting a box with power from two circuits and a bad neutral make up, once discovered and corrected, will solve the problem.

 

[gabe277]

Yes about the wrong neutral , believe me I double checked because before I started wiring the new panel I put black 33 around the black and white of each circuit and it's very easy to follow the neutral back to the connectoor ,but it is something to add to a trouble shooting list thanks . One other thing I failed to mention and it might or might not matter but I noticed that the doorbell transformer is tied to this circuit , would that have any affect ? And yes I'm thinking it might be the fan it is a bit noisy ! I'm going to check all. This Wednesday.

 

[e57]

And yes I'm thinking it might be the fan it is a bit noisy ! I'm going to check all. This Wednesday.

As mentioned earlier - variable speed motors and AFCI's are not exactly the best of friends... They often create simular waveform distortion as the pre-programed 'arc signatures' these devices seek.

 

[gabe277]

YES it doesnt trip any more finally ohhh man that was reallly bugging me . thank you everybody for your input and man these afci can really be a pain in the you know where . I did exactly what ya told me i removed the neutral from that crcuit and ohmed it out to the neutral bus and took off one nuetral at a time and then realized alll the neutrals were off and i stilll had contnuity , so then i removed the bonding screw and still themn i removed the grounds and still so after that i was left with the branch circuit graonds and the nuetral . so we narrowed it down to a nuetral touching ground sure enough in the last receptacle in the circuit the ground was barely touching just enough to trip the afci . man these breakers can be a pain THANKS everybody for your input .

 

[hurk27]

A thought to ponder

The problem is always the last place you check


You know why?






because why would ya look any further:grin: