Arc Fault breakers

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chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
Has anyone heard any information about the use of Arc fault breakers and motors? More specifically, master bedroom and master bathroom on the same circuit. Master bathroom exhaust fan is also on this circuit. Could this cause the arc fault to trip?
 

chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
Breaker does not trip when I turn the fan on. Could the bath fan cause the arc fault to trip occassionally?
 

hunt4679

Senior Member
Location
Perry, Ohio
Ask if it happens when the use the vacuum. I found on four differant houses with the same vacuum "Kenmore Progressive Bagless" it will trip the arc fault. It will run in the upright position until you drop the handle wich engages the beater bar then it will trip the arc fault. You plug it into a non arc fault circuit and no problem. I have contacted Kenmore about this with no response. Just a thought!
Maybe you have a neut to grnd problem have you tried to load the circuit?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Breaker does not trip when I turn the fan on. Could the bath fan cause the arc fault to trip occassionally?
Sure, if it happens when the fan comes on. If it doesn't trip when the fan is on then it can't be the fan.

Arc faults can be a trick to troubleshoot. I have never had any problems until the last few jobs. I believe the culpret was a bad AFCI breaker. This is the first trouble I have had with GE AFCI. The problem can show up under totally different conditions or situations. We had one where we stayed at the house for over 2 hours and left every light on the circuit on-- it was just lights on this AFCI. The dang thing never tripped. We changed the breaker and have not heard a thing since-- we'll see.
 

chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
I did the samething. Turned on all the lights and fan. 7.2 amps of load. Kept everything on for 2 hours or so. I replaced the breaker with a new 15 amp siemens combination arc fault. So, I guess we'll see what happens?
 

surf more

Senior Member
Location
eastern NC
Ask if it happens when the use the vacuum. I found on four differant houses with the same vacuum "Kenmore Progressive Bagless" it will trip the arc fault. It will run in the upright position until you drop the handle wich engages the beater bar then it will trip the arc fault. You plug it into a non arc fault circuit and no problem. I have contacted Kenmore about this with no response. Just a thought!
Maybe you have a neut to grnd problem have you tried to load the circuit?

ran into same problem with kenmore vacum before.
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
I have an ever growing pile of combination ark fault faulty breakers in a drawer in my van. Three or four more and its going to be worth the trouble to find out where I bought each one and take em all back for refunds. Right now its not worth the bother, .... yet..
 

jwjrw

Senior Member
Ask if it happens when the use the vacuum. I found on four differant houses with the same vacuum "Kenmore Progressive Bagless" it will trip the arc fault. It will run in the upright position until you drop the handle wich engages the beater bar then it will trip the arc fault. You plug it into a non arc fault circuit and no problem. I have contacted Kenmore about this with no response. Just a thought!
Maybe you have a neut to grnd problem have you tried to load the circuit?

I have had this happen to me in 2 different homes. Different brand of vaccums and cutler hammer arc faults
 

hunt4679

Senior Member
Location
Perry, Ohio
I did the samething. Turned on all the lights and fan. 7.2 amps of load. Kept everything on for 2 hours or so. I replaced the breaker with a new 15 amp siemens combination arc fault. So, I guess we'll see what happens?

7.2 Amps plus a tv or something else turning on? Overload problem? What kind of lighting do they have to draw 7.2 amps?
 
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chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
Strip lighting in the master bathroom (9 lamps at 60 watts each, 1 exhaust fan, 1, 2x4 Florescent in walk in closet 3 lamps, 5, 65 watt lamps in recessed cans. Put amp clamp on by breaker an d read aprox. 7.2 amps.
 

ELA

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrical Test Engineer
Strip lighting in the master bathroom (9 lamps at 60 watts each, 1 exhaust fan, 1, 2x4 Florescent in walk in closet 3 lamps, 5, 65 watt lamps in recessed cans. Put amp clamp on by breaker an d read aprox. 7.2 amps.

That is an interesting combination Chris,
Are any of the lamps CFLs?

AFCI breakers are looking for a minimum 60hz current level along with higher frequency components as a "signature" of an arc.

In theory if you had enough varied loads together to exceed the minimum 60hz level, along with various high frequency components from the different non-linear loads, they could trip the AFCI.

It is certainly possible theory wise and it appears as though you may have found the right combination?
Have you measured leakage current to exclude that as a possible reason for the trip?
 

ty

Senior Member
Brand New Treadmill with a 2hp motor trips a Cutler Hammer AFCI breaker everytime it is started. Tried switching circuits, but same result. Will be consulting CH...

shortcircuit2

We install CH all the time.
Have never had that problem.
We have over the past 10 years had very few issues with CH AFCI breakers. I could count them on one hand.
 
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