AFCI's tripping

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I have remolded an older 4-plex and put in 4 new 100amp 3-wire main panels.All grounde to code, the AFCI breakers are tripping when I turn a bedroom light on or when I plug a radio into an outlet, or fan. Pretty simple to hook up with the white wire off the AFCI going to the common bar in the panel.Am I over looking something here.....???? It is an older building and the ground wire on the romex is smaller than todays standards, could that be the problem.

Thx........:confused:
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
I just found both problems in a AFCI circuit, one in the panel and one was is a shared box!

Well two things your can try:

1. Is to make sure that your home run of the bedroom circuit is wired correctly that your hooking up in the panel!

For example opening panel, the neutral Circuit 7 was on 11, 11 was clearly landed on the Buss, so that was an easy find and Fix!

I didn't wire the panel, but I did do a little over-view and reminder to my co-workers how important it was to Label both the neutral and the hot's (period), this payed off! Granted this was a new install to 2008 Code!

2. That there is no shared neutral to another circuit! There's a slang term/saying for it, but can't just remember it this AM! :) I believe they call it a wild leg neutral ? I don't practice that one day in and day out but the service guys know of it! :rolleyes:

For example, the wiring was checked twice, circuits 1 and 11 was in a Home run box that we thought was in question, tracing and toning was rung out, and out of sight runs re-qualified. The fun thing we didn't find or open the panel first and even clearing/tracing 11 out and testing individual receptacles Isolated the breaker will hold until one plugs in anything!

It should be called Arc Fault Circuit Individual :) and we should remember it that way as well!
 
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