Arc fault breakers

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scott1972

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east haven connecticut
I had a CO inspection at a house that I recently finish today, and there was a problem with one of the arc fault breakers!!! I always used Sq. D QO panels with the right breakers. What I found was when I purchased my (4) 15 amp arc fault breakers, one had a white test button the others are green. Looking futher the green are arc fault branch feeder circuit breakers, the white is a combination circuit breaker and arc fault breaker. It did not trip when the inspector used his tester, the green ones did.Whats up!!! :happysad:
 
Scott, are you sure they are both afci breakers. It also could be different generation breakers- one an afci and the other a combination afci- parallel and series combo not circuit breaker /afci. I am not familiar with sq. d colors
 
Where did you purchase them from? Only the CAFCI's have white test button. They have been required long enough you got stiffed by whoever you bought them from.

And your inspector also needs to learn that the test button is the only listed testing method for any AFCI.
 
Some of those testers only trip the ground fault protection part of the AFCI. As far as I know all branch circuit and feeder AFCIs had a ground fault protection trip. Some combination type AFCIs do not have this.
 
Don, it is my understanding that GE has removed the GFPE portion of their AFCI breakers.

I talked to Ed Larsen from Schneider electric who is also on the AFCI nuisance tripping task force about this issue at the ROC meetings and he is the one who told me that.

Chris
 
raider1 said:
Don, it is my understanding that GE has removed the GFPE portion of their AFCI breakers.

I talked to Ed Larsen from Schneider electric who is also on the AFCI nuisance tripping task force about this issue at the ROC meetings and he is the one who told me that.

Chris
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Yes they took it out a few years ago. I believe they are the only manufacturer who has done so, Interestingly enough Is that I never had an issue with GE AFCI until they took the gfpe out of it.
 
raider1 said:
Don, it is my understanding that GE has removed the GFPE portion of their AFCI breakers.

I talked to Ed Larsen from Schneider electric who is also on the AFCI nuisance tripping task force about this issue at the ROC meetings and he is the one who told me that.

Chris
Click to expand...
Chris,
I knew that GE had done that, but I thought that some of the others had done the same.

In my opinion, the removal of the GFP is a huge mistake. The GFP is really providing most of the protection, but it is also the most common cause of trips from wiring installation problems.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
Chris,
I knew that GE had done that, but I thought that some of the others had done the same.

In my opinion, the removal of the GFP is a huge mistake. The GFP is really providing most of the protection, but it is also the most common cause of trips from wiring installation problems.
Click to expand...

I agree, so did Ed.:)

Chris
 
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