AFCI's

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Just a possibility here...

Maybe they never plugged into that duplex behind the dresser with it's neutral too close to the ground wire again - Or, when that pesky AFCI tripped again after you left, they may have thought it was a problem with the installer and didnt call back... Many possibilities here.
 
electricmanscott said:
How do I know? I have replaced AFCIS that tripped occasionaly and after replacement NEVER tripped again.
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I agree, it's very likely that the only problem is the electronics going haywire in the AFCI.
 
mdshunk said:
Who pays you back when one of your guys hooked up a 3-way wrong or forgot a home run? Same deal. Properly installed AFCI's connected to properly installed wiring do not cause any problems.
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I am on Marc's side. I am speaking of new installations. I keep hearing b*tch*ng about AFCI's, and "nuisance" tripping. Every scenario has their own fix.

Can we move on from here with more specific scenario's?
 
due diligence

due diligence

Not to be a Johnny-come -lately, but I assume everyone has checked for a "falsely grounded neutral conductor which causes AFCI breakers to nuisance trip with normal loads"?
 
langjahr@comcast.net said:
Not to be a Johnny-come -lately, but I assume everyone has checked for a "falsely grounded neutral conductor which causes AFCI breakers to nuisance trip with normal loads"?
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Yes three out of Four we found, they had a bootleg neutral in the house wiring, on one job, the bootleg was in the livingroom light switch, where so genius picked up bare ground and used it for a neutral feed to the new recess lights, another one was basement outlet had a neutral feed from another near by outlet tied into the bare ground wire, once the bootlegs were removed the AFCI's worked problem free. An arc from a 39 cent light switch can cause trips.
 
stickboy1375 said:
I guess I cant agree until I have to go back and replace one...
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I should have said that in the absence of any wiring errors, and intentional arcs in the circuit (switches, vaccuum cleaner motors, etc,) then the only likely conclusion to a nuisance trip is a malfunctioning AFCI/
 
when gfci's first came out did they have similar problems
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I was doing residential then and I remember the boss trying to figure out how to spend all the big bucks he was going to make resetting gfci's, which never came to be. I remember a few call backs (mostly wiring errors), but no mass run on resetting.

I am seriously contemplating installing AFCI's at home just to see.

AS I have stated before EC's need to make customers aware of the issues, and wiring errors need to be addressed and nuisance trips need to be billed. If what I am hearing is true residential EC's should make finally make those resetting bucks.
 
Go ahead Brian and install AFCI's if you did the wiring yourself. Write us back and tell us you don't see a problem. I know you won't have to write back and question how to fix it:rolleyes:
 
wow..I go away for couple days and look where we are..we can check the "falsely grounded neutral conductor which causes AFCI breakers to nuisance trip with normal loads"? or spend lots of time trouble shooting a circuit..So how do you deal with your customers..Do you have a check list so you can verify every aspect of the wiring and do you give a copy of the sheet to your customer..Do you encourage your customer to call and complain about the extra cash and inconvience this is costing..If it was my flat screen I would be livid..So when the problem is the breaker, which normally it is from what I have read on this site..I feel if you empower the customer then they can file complaints against the manufacturer and we can get better quality of product on market..If the manufacturers can cook the facts and sell the product then they should beable to deliver the goods..
 
brian john said:
AS I have stated before EC's need to make customers aware of the issues, and wiring errors need to be addressed and nuisance trips need to be billed. If what I am hearing is true residential EC's should make finally make those resetting bucks.
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Sure once your warrantee period is up - you can charge for it! Big bucks - no.... Waste of time - yep...

But until then you're stuck going back trying to decipher 'why' it keeps trippng...

And unlike GFI's there isn't reams of consumer directed literature saying 'Your house is going to burn down due to shoddy work of that hack who over-charged you at every opprotunity!'

What the customer sees beyond what you tell them....
GFI's just had cute cartoons of hair dryers falling into bath tubs (Trips without it falling into the tub - must be the device)

AFCI's have graphic pictures of homes fully engaged in FIRE! (trips mean there is a fire in the wall somewhere and it's that hacks fault)

Really look at the imagry of this page: 'Fire engine could be on its way to your house!!!!'
http://www2.sea.siemens.com/Products/Residential-Electrical/AFCI/AFCI-FAQ.htm?languagecode=en

www2.sea.siemens.com/NR/rdonlyres/4CFC1E06-7385-4E5F-B090-C5A7A3103778/0/RPPMCOMBO0907.pdf


And silly articals like this:"Dont want to die in a fire but want to use my computer more"
http://ask.metafilter.com/86678/Dont-want-to-die-in-a-fire-but-want-to-use-my-computer-more
 
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I don't do resi, so I'm not real familiar with AFCI's, but I thought they came into the 2002 Code. So haven't you guys been using these for a while?
Just curious.
 
cdslotz said:
I don't do resi, so I'm not real familiar with AFCI's, but I thought they came into the 2002 Code. So haven't you guys been using these for a while?
Just curious.
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The '08 requires a 'combination' AFCI, a different species.
 
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