AFCI pigtails

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kingchevy

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Wuth the new AFCI requirements, do you think manufacturers will provide longer pigtails on AFCI breakers? It is going to be harder to keep them all on the nuetral bar side and splices I sure hate to have splices in the panel if its not necessary.
 
peter d said:
Most resi loadcenters have the neutral/ground bars on each side so it really shouldn't be an issue.
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In a sub-panel it shouldn't be either. But then, moving the ground bus might be another option. Can't imagine too many AFCI's on a subpanel at that point. rbj
 
peter d said:
Most resi loadcenters have the neutral/ground bars on each side so it really shouldn't be an issue.
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I was hoping you'd say that. this should not be a concerrn just something your'e going to have to work out. I don't see them changing the length of the pigtail just cause you're annoyed. sorry:wink:
 
peter d said:
Most resi loadcenters have the neutral/ground bars on each side so it really shouldn't be an issue.
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Hopefully they will make them longer. Some only go half-way down the busbars.
 
i just hope squareD can make theirs a little more compact, like the seimens model. its going to be tough w/ so little room. the end of their afci breaker comes within 1.5", if not less, of the side of the loadcenter.
 
Since the only other breakers are for the kitchen SA's, bath, and laundry (2 Twins) - why will that ONE 15a AFCI breaker make much of a differance? :grin:
 
The job I am on I have pig-tail all my AFIC (6). Its a Homeline panel groundint bar on the sides on high up in the panel. All my AFIC have to go on the bottom of panel. I thought could move a few around, and maybe put them higher up but the wires are to short and no slack. Hate to do it that way.
 
I recently attended a trade show and Cutler-Hammer was displaying their new AFCI breakers. They automatically attach to the neutral bars running along each side of the panel so no pigtails are needed. Slick design.
 
yeah i dont know why everyone leaves the pigtails all coiled up when they dont need it... its almost like some people think the wire has to be coiled for the breaker to work
 
izak said:
yeah i dont know why everyone leaves the pigtails all coiled up when they dont need it... its almost like some people think the wire has to be coiled for the breaker to work
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I dont feel the need to waste my time cutting then restripping the wire, but thats just me...i just leave the pigs little tail all coiled up next to the breaker...:grin:
 
haskindm said:
I recently attended a trade show and Cutler-Hammer was displaying their new AFCI breakers. They automatically attach to the neutral bars running along each side of the panel so no pigtails are needed. Slick design.
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I've heard about those but I am yet to see them. Is that the CH series?
 
haskindm said:
I recently attended a trade show and Cutler-Hammer was displaying their new AFCI breakers. They automatically attach to the neutral bars running along each side of the panel so no pigtails are needed. Slick design.
Click to expand...
Do you have a link?
 
I just googled it and they call them arc fault breakers with "plug on neutral connection". Apparantly you need to get the loadcenter which has a "strip" running along the inside that the breaker plugs into. Pretty slick idea. They said it would be available in 2007 for the CH series and in 2008 for the BR series.
 
they call them Arc fault panels and 'the strip' that the breakers connect to is actually the neutral bar. from looking at them that also means that no wires can be terminated at the point the breaker is attatched ... that is to say... you had better use those screws BEFORE you install the breaker because it is going to cover them up.. much like a Square D homeline afci or gfci
 
Yes, the breaker covers the neutral, but you can attach neutral wires to the bar under the breaker. You will need to remove the breaker to get to those neutral wires in the future.
 
clarification help needed

clarification help needed

i just recently got to a condo job to start testing the apartments that where finsihed before they paint. i have started to do troubleshooting in many diffrent apt. and found that when guys used a double connector to enter the panel they used the wrong neutral for the afci. are splices legal. i heard people say yes and others no and even suggested to do butt splices??

while typing though of another problem or posible problem is that they are feeding a inline smoke detector of the load side of a gfci. is that ok?
help and comments appreciated
 
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