AFCI Q- circuit neutral not terminated on breaker

[kwired]

What you write does not reflect knowledge of the GE Instructions and is misleading, Kwired, this is NOT a mystery. GE publishes the answer to your bafflement. GE DOES NOT recommend, one way or the other, where to land the branch circuit load neutral conductor.

This PDF GE Advantage Brochure shows the wiring hookup options on page three.

The blue insert box in the middle of the bottom of Page 3 of the GE Advantage Brochure says clearly that the landing on the breaker load neutral terminal is optional. OPTIONAL.

You are correct, I don't know what the GE instructions say. Don't really care either, I don't think I have even seen a newer generation GE AFCI yet.

Not a big fan of AFCI's, have not done many new homes since we have had to use them (State amended them out until they adopted 2008 NEC, and this topic was responsible for holding up adopting 2008 for maybe about a year or year and a half beyond when it normally would have been adopted.) But my AFCI installs have been mostly Square D (QO and Homeline). only recurring "mystery trips" I have encountered I have always been able to find a ground fault that was the cause. But I read so many stories here about other loads causing problems that are presumably loads that should be acceptable loads yet they don't play well with AFCI's. Have had a few "inductive kickback" issues with GFCI's - always been receptacle type GFCI's.

Bottom line is regardless of any instructions or recommendations, GFP needs all protected circuit conductors to run through the current sensor or it will trip anytime the load exceeds the trip current level. If the component does not have GFP, it may or may not need neutral to pass through - would depend on exactly how it works, which they don't seem too interested in letting us in on how they work, higher security levels than some national security agencies here.

 

[al hildenbrand]

You are correct, I don't know what the GE instructions say. Don't really care either, I don't think I have even seen a newer generation GE AFCI yet.

In my opinion, if you are going to hold forth for the OP of this thread, you should update yourself on this EIGHT YEAR OLD advancement.

Your hammering on the requirements of ground fault sensing is disturbingly off of the symptoms observed and reported in the OP.

We're still waiting for the OP to tell us the name of the particular AFCI that he found hooked up and running. . .

 

[romex jockey]

The question is whether the new Eaton AFCIs will supply MWBCs like the GEs will.

Where would one ask? ~RJ~

 

[LarryFine]

Where would one ask? ~RJ~

Experimentation. A simple test with a simple load.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Experimentation. A simple test with a simple load.

In my opinion, the test is not so simple, as the arc fault sensing has to pass the required UL test procedures with the branch circuit neutral either not connected to the breaker load neutral terminal at all, or connected to only one of two single pole BR-type AFCI, or pigtailed to both single pole breakers, whichever is the factory instructed "correct" hookup.

 

[romex jockey]

So what would help is clarity and tranparency in UL testing of AFCI'S ....~RJ~

 

[LarryFine]

In my opinion, the test is not so simple, as the arc fault sensing has to pass the required UL test procedures with the branch circuit neutral either not connected to the breaker load neutral terminal at all, or connected to only one of two single pole BR-type AFCI, or pigtailed to both single pole breakers, whichever is the factory instructed "correct" hookup.

I meant by one of us with a bulb or solenoid tester as a load, on in a circuit in a panel.

 

[romex jockey]

That's just a parallel load though Larry.....~RJ~

 

[kwired]

I meant by one of us with a bulb or solenoid tester as a load, on in a circuit in a panel.

If you don't strictly follow manufacturer instructions and listing instructions, you eventually go to electrician's hell.

With AFCI's it comes down to: trust us, don't ask any questions on how or why it works either, we got this. We might give you a replacement unit on occasion if we have an updated version that may fix your problems, but other than cost of the replacement unit, you still eat any other cost involved.