AFCI tripping

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Riograndeelectric

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Lakewood Colorado
I have a customer who I just installed a new 20amp circuit for a home based hair salon. she has a mini refridgerator for drinks etc the refridgerators is causing the new style AFCI breaker to trip and it is not due to an overload. this is a GE Combo AFCI breaker. how do you test an appliance to see if it is a current leakge or an arcing that is causing the breaker to trip. the Refridgerator is only about 6 months old. The refridgerator was pluged into a non 15Amp non afci circuit before I installed the new circuit so the Refridgerator cord would not have to be pluged into another outlet on the other side of the wall were the cord ran around the wall thru the door way.
 
Is this a dwelling unit?

Anyway the first thing I would check is to see if the neutral is making contact with any grounded parts.
 
Riograndeelectric said:
this is in a dewlling unit. this is a new circuit and I did verify that no grounds and nuetrals touching. the AFCI trips only when the Refridgerator is plugged in
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Is this the only load on that circuit?

If there are crossed neutrals, sometimes the AFCI won't trip until there is a load.

Also, can you either try plugging the fridge into another AFCI circuit or changing the breaker?
Also, try another load plugged into the fridge receptacle.
 
Try swapping it out with a normal breaker and see if it trips. That way, you can eliminate it being an overload if it doesn't.
 
From the cord's prongs, check from the ground pin to the hot blade, and from the ground pin to neutral blade with a megohm meter. That might reveal the source of the leakage as being the refrigerator itself.
 
480sparky said:
Try swapping it out with a normal breaker and see if it trips. That way, you can eliminate it being an overload if it doesn't.
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It was pluged in to a normal circuit prior to me instaling the new outlet and AFCI circuit. it never tripped on the normal circuit.
AFCI only trips when the refer is pluged in even though there are other things pluged in that do not cause the AFCI to trip
 
Riograndeelectric said:
AFCI only trips when the refer is pluged in even though there are other things pluged in that do not cause the AFCI to trip
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It trips right away when the refrigerator is plugged in? If that's the case, that's pretty definitive that the refrigerator has leakage and the AFCI is doing its job. The megohm readings will prove it to the customer.
 
it does not trip right away it is definatlly the fridge causing it to trip. I moved the fridge to a normal 15 amp circuit but left the other items pluged in to the new 20amp circuit and it did not trip. this is on a 20 amp dedicated circuit that I installed a week ago. the only other thing pluged in is a Mr coffe pot and this does not trip the AFCI and this is ony a beverage cooler that is tripping the AFCI and does not draw a lot.

I do not have a megger could I use my fluke 87 meter to check the resitive for leakage?
 
mdshunk said:
It trips right away when the refrigerator is plugged in? If that's the case, that's pretty definitive that the refrigerator has leakage and the AFCI is doing its job. The megohm readings will prove it to the customer.
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Remember the AFCI and the GFCI component within it, respond to the TOTAL arc fault and ground fault values connected.

It's easier to visualize the ground fault portion. Depending on the manufacturer the AFCI will trip at 30 to 100 mA. On a circuit with 5 appliances connected and each leaking 5 mA the AFCI will not trip. Connect a refrigerator with another 5 mA leakage and it may trip.

With this example no single appliance will trip a typical GFCI but if all 5 appliances are connected the sum of the leakage cause a trip.

The same case could be made for a bunch of arching appliances.
 
I doubt you are going to find a bunch of appliances all leaking 5ma. I believe the most they are allowed to leak is ~0.5 ma each, under normal circumstances.

Does the AFCI trip when the compressor starts? I have heard of inrush current causing an AFCI to trip (vacuum cleaners being one I have heard of).

Can you monitor the line to see what the current draw is at the time the AFCI trips is?
 
ohm said:
Remember the AFCI and the GFCI component within it, respond to the TOTAL arc fault and ground fault values connected.
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Right you are, but I have yet to come across an appliance that was tripping an AFCI for anything other than leakage.
 
mdshunk said:
It trips right away when the refrigerator is plugged in? If that's the case, that's pretty definitive that the refrigerator has leakage and the AFCI is doing its job. The megohm readings will prove it to the customer.
Click to expand...

It's hard to show a meter reading to a customer and expect them to run out & buy a new refrigerator.

If fact megger readings are dependent on ambient temperature & humidity and voltage applied. Most electricians have trouble with the interpertation.
 
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