AFCI question on treadmill problem

[dmagyar]

I've got a client that has a motorized treadmill thats tripping the AFCI in the master bedroom when it is started. With the treadmill on, then the breaker can be reset and everything is good untill the next time. When the treadmill is un-plugged everythings OK, no tripping.

Question: could some sort of external choke dampen the arc sign wave enough to allow operation without the tripping? (What I'm thinking of is something to plug in between the treadmill and the wall receptacle.)

I've talked with the manufacturer of the treadmill and they don't have any solutions, they don't understand what a AFCI is let alone how to deal with it. Also the treadmill is a few years old and not the current model so they're essentially no help.

 

[electricmanscott]

I know this is a common problem with treadmills on GFCI's. I suspect that is where your issue lies.

 

[ELA]

heres one and there are probably others:
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showpost.php?p=1130440&postcount=1

An EMI filter may help. It sounds like the inrush current along with associated treadmill electrical noise may be the cause of the trip.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I agree treadmills are a problem on both GFCI and AFCI circuits. Hopefully the newer models will work better than the older units.

 

[Tutone]

Dmagyar,
Have you solved this issue with the treadmill tripping the AFCI breaker yet?

I pretty much have come across the same problem with a new finished basement. I installed a BR series Cutler Hammer sub-panel to feed all the new basement circuits. When the treadmill would start, it would not only trip the AFCI breaker it was plugged into, but also trip 3 other AFCI's feeding other basement loads. After double checking all splices, connections, continuity, and amperage draw, found no problems. Even plugging the treadmill into the non AFCI protected bathroom receptacle would trip the other AFCI's.

So I re-fed the treadmill circuit off an existing circuit fed from the main panel. This is a completely different load center from the sub-feed. It was a GE panel. I put in a GE AFCI (no it isn't a multiwire circuit) and it tripped the GE AFCI.

I have come to the conclusion that this treadmill (Norditrack model) is not compatible with AFCI's at all.

What is a guy supposed to do to be code compliant?