AFCI

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Re: AFCI

Solenoid testers will trip a gfci but not an afci.Try it test hot to ground on a gfci and see what happens then try it on an afci circuit.
 
Re: AFCI

By Bill: However today I tried to trip a GE gfci with the switch off I touched the ground and neutral,
Click to expand...
Bill
I'm going to assume that you meant "AFCI"
In a GFCI there is an extra current coil 180? out of phase with the other current coil. This coil is used to detect a neutral to ground fault in any GFCI circuit, Now it's not in older GFCI's but all newer GFCI's have it. this is why a GFCI will trip instantly when the load neutral and ground make contact. "Click Here for more info"

A AFCI has only one coil, this requires a much larger circuit load to allow enough imbalance between the neutral and hot to cause the GFP portion of an AFCI to trip. If there are other loads on the AFCI circuit when the ground and neutral makes contact, then it will trip if there is enough imbalance between the hot and neutral.

If you can remember the older GFCI's they wouldn't trip right away either. But as soon as you applied any load they would trip right now. With AFCI's it takes a little more current to do the same thing because of the 30ma GFP verses the 5ma in the older GFCI's.
If you click on that link above you will see that in newer GFCI's that added coil will cause the newer GFCI's to instantly trip on a neutral to ground fault.
Hope this helps a little :D
 
Re: AFCI

A simple test of what I stated above is to ground any neutral of a AFCI protected circuit and start tunning on lights, or plug in a heavy load and it will trip.

This is why we get call backs on this problem long after the home owner has moved in.

We now check continuity on the neutral to ground before we terminate a panel.
 
Re: AFCI

You don`t need a heavy load to trip a neutral /ground fault on an afci.I have found a 6 watt bulb will trip it just as a solenoid tester will.A plug tester will allow it to hold there has to be an actual load to trip the neutral fault.
 
Re: AFCI

Solenoid testers will trip a gfci but not an afci.Try it test hot to ground on a gfci and see what happens then try it on an afci circuit.
Click to expand...
That is to be expected as the solenoid voltage tester does not draw enough current to trip the GFP part of the AFCI. The GFP trip point is 30 to 50 mA.
Don
 
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