AFCI

[Jleesr66]

Is it just me or, are others finding that having AFCI on lighting circuits cause trips, when a light bulb goes out?
If so, has this been brought to the NEC for adjustment.
I just went to friends, where a residential "Electrician" changed out an AFCI breaker, 3 times. Yet, it continued to trip.
The person worked for 4 hours attempted to trace the problem before my friend blew his stack.
When I was able to go, I had him show me the area. Turned everything off and unplug all. Breaker closed and held. But as soon as he turned on light. The AFCI breaker tripped. Due to a blown bulb.
I find this disconcerting. Cause people are being OVERCHARGED, for simple fixes.

 

[jmellc]

This goes back to crappy technology being shoved down our throats by authorities who never met a rule they didn’t like. The only accurate part of the AFCI terminology is “fault”. A fault packaged & sold at ripoff prices.

 

[James L]

The AFCI breaker tripped. Due to a blown bulb.
I find this disconcerting. Cause people are being OVERCHARGED, for simple fixes.

I went to a service call once, where the homeowner told me he had a bad breaker.

As soon as I walked in, I asked him what area of the house was affected by that breaker. He told me it was his bathroom in the basement. I asked him has anything changed recently for any work going on in that area and he assured me that nothing had.

So then I asked if I could see that bathroom area before I change the breaker. I saw that he was remodeling that bathroom.

I noticed there was an extension cord running into the bathroom from the garage. So I walked along the cord looking at it, and I noticed two big gouges, an open splice and the cord pulled out of the replacement style cord end.

I told him I had a hunch that might be tripping the breaker. He assured me no way Jose.

I asked him if he would humor me and allow me to unplug the cord and just see if that breaker will hold. I'll give you one guess as to the result of my experiment.

He looked completely dumbfounded. The breaker had to be bad. No other way in his mind to explain why it was tripping.

What's my point? Sometimes service calls are that easy. That's easier than finding a burned-out light bulb. Guess how much I charged him? Regular rate to show up and the regular rate of 1 hour.

Don't get mad at the breaker if it's doing what it's designed to do

 

[Buck Parrish]

I went to a service call once, where the homeowner told me he had a bad breaker.

As soon as I walked in, I asked him what area of the house was affected by that breaker. He told me it was his bathroom in the basement. I asked him has anything changed recently for any work going on in that area and he assured me that nothing had.

So then I asked if I could see that bathroom area before I change the breaker. I saw that he was remodeling that bathroom.

I noticed there was an extension cord running into the bathroom from the garage. So I walked along the cord looking at it, and I noticed two big gouges, an open splice and the cord pulled out of the replacement style cord end.

I told him I had a hunch that might be tripping the breaker. He assured me no way Jose.

I asked him if he would humor me and allow me to unplug the cord and just see if that breaker will hold. I'll give you one guess as to the result of my experiment.

He looked completely dumbfounded. The breaker had to be bad. No other way in his mind to explain why it was tripping.

What's my point? Sometimes service calls are that easy. That's easier than finding a burned-out light bulb. Guess how much I charged him? Regular rate to show up and the regular rate of 1 hour.

Don't get mad at the breaker if it's doing what it's designed to do

I too have had it happen. The breaker is designed to detect an arc. The bulbs metal filament was laying up against the glass . Not arcing.

 

[Jleesr66]

I went to a service call once, where the homeowner told me he had a bad breaker.

As soon as I walked in, I asked him what area of the house was affected by that breaker. He told me it was his bathroom in the basement. I asked him has anything changed recently for any work going on in that area and he assured me that nothing had.

So then I asked if I could see that bathroom area before I change the breaker. I saw that he was remodeling that bathroom.

I noticed there was an extension cord running into the bathroom from the garage. So I walked along the cord looking at it, and I noticed two big gouges, an open splice and the cord pulled out of the replacement style cord end.

I told him I had a hunch that might be tripping the breaker. He assured me no way Jose.

I asked him if he would humor me and allow me to unplug the cord and just see if that breaker will hold. I'll give you one guess as to the result of my experiment.

He looked completely dumbfounded. The breaker had to be bad. No other way in his mind to explain why it was tripping.

What's my point? Sometimes service calls are that easy. That's easier than finding a burned-out light bulb. Guess how much I charged him? Regular rate to show up and the regular rate of 1 hour.

Don't get mad at the breaker if it's doing what it's designed to do

Exactly and understandable. Yet the guy who came to his house. Pulled ever Receptacle on that circuit, looking for a loose neutral.
He was educated on the practice of troubleshooting. As you and I are.