Arc Fault in Kitchen

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Louisvillesparky

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Louisville, KY
A customer purchased a gas stovetop with an auto-igniter. It is plugged into a receptacle on the circuit with the exhaust hood. These are the only 2 devices on the circuit. The arc fault breaker trips when the auto-igniter is used. I'm assuming the spark from the igniter is being detected as an arc fault. I see no exception in the code that would allow a non-arc fault breaker to be installed on this circuit. What is the best code compliant remedy for this.
 
As far as the NEC is concerned the problem is with the stove not the AFCI protective device. I see no way other than a waiver from the AHJ to circumvent the code requirement.

Welcome to the Forum. :)
 
Louisvillesparky said:
A customer purchased a gas stovetop with an auto-igniter. . . The arc fault breaker trips when the auto-igniter is used. . . What is the best code compliant remedy for this.
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Welcome to the Forum.

The Code has no "solution." The reality of your situation is the potential for messy triangulated communication. The AFCI manufacturer, the stovetop manufacturer, the customer and you all have to talk to each other and report "facts". Hopefully, the manufacturer of the stovetop steps up with a solution. (I trust you have replaced the tripping AFCI device with a new, out-of-the-package, AFCI, and experienced no change in tripping behavior).
 
Doesn't latest generation AFCI's need to have circuit drawing a certain current level before they will respond to arc fault, or certiain types of arc faults?

If you have one that has diagnostic feature to tell you if it is tripping on AFCI or GFP what does it indicate?

Have you ran an extension cord to another circuit to eliminate any problem on the branch circuit?
 
kwired said:
Doesn't latest generation AFCI's need to have circuit drawing a certain current level before they will respond to arc fault, or certiain types of arc faults?

If you have one that has diagnostic feature to tell you if it is tripping on AFCI or GFP what does it indicate?

Have you ran an extension cord to another circuit to eliminate any problem on the branch circuit?
Click to expand...

I assume you want to stay compliant with NEC and or AHJ.

You might try a small plug and play isolation transformer to plug the cord and plug connected igniter into.

Example.

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-I...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WXE5Y07NRVHGXVZ6XJZD

https://www.hawkusa.com/manufacture...MI2oGztabx2gIVj4bACh2HIwddEAQYASABEgJNsvD_BwE
 
Jamesco said:
I assume you want to stay compliant with NEC and or AHJ.

You might try a small plug and play isolation transformer to plug the cord and plug connected igniter into.

Example.

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-I...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WXE5Y07NRVHGXVZ6XJZD

https://www.hawkusa.com/manufacture...MI2oGztabx2gIVj4bACh2HIwddEAQYASABEgJNsvD_BwE
Click to expand...
I may not want to comply with NEC, but may have no choice either;)

Isn't the igniter already run through an isolation transformer in many cases? I'm more used to igniters for industrial boilers and dryers - they are an isolation transformer, and can't recall ever working on a household gas range - they are somewhat rare around here.
 
Get a gas range with a standing pilot (if you can find a residential one) and no worries about the AFCI. But then you'll piss another fanatic group off.

-Hal
 
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