Are AFCI breakers truly effective?

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jeff48356

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Livonia, Michigan
AFCI breakers have been in force for about 15 years now, and I was just wondering how effective they actually have been over these last 15 years in reducing the number of house fires. Most electricians hate them, since they only drive up the cost of their projects, and cause inconvenience to homeowners (resulting in many callbacks) due to nuisance tripping (when there actually is no reason to trip in the first place). Have we reached a point where AFCI's have deterred homebuyers from buying new construction, and opting for houses built before the Code requirement?

Is there any true, unbiased proof that these have actually met their goals over the past 15 years, or is this just something that electrical engineers have been cramming down our throats just to line their pockets? Personally, I think they are unnecessary, and 99% of the arc-fault problems would be resolved simply by taking extra time and care to ensure that good connections are made at all times. A home built 20 years ago before the requirement is not any less safe to occupy than one built today is.
 
jeff48356 said:
AFCI breakers have been in force for about 15 years now, and I was just wondering how effective they actually have been over these last 15 years in reducing the number of house fires. Most electricians hate them, since they only drive up the cost of their projects, and cause inconvenience to homeowners (resulting in many callbacks) due to nuisance tripping (when there actually is no reason to trip in the first place). Have we reached a point where AFCI's have deterred homebuyers from buying new construction, and opting for houses built before the Code requirement?

Is there any true, unbiased proof that these have actually met their goals over the past 15 years, or is this just something that electrical engineers have been cramming down our throats just to line their pockets? Personally, I think they are unnecessary, and 99% of the arc-fault problems would be resolved simply by taking extra time and care to ensure that good connections are made at all times. A home built 20 years ago before the requirement is not any less safe to occupy than one built today is.
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With your conclusions about afcis, you are preaching to the choir. :)

There have been literally thousands of posts here about afci efficacy- simply use the forums search feature.
 
The simple answer is there is no hard evidence that they are effective, because the AFCI itself is still in a state of refinement and development.

The argument has been made many times that the 30 mA GFPE portion of the AFCI (which has been deleted on certain brands and lines) is the only really effective part of an AFCI. I agree with this position. I think we would be much better served by having 5 mA GFCI at the branch circuit origin than the AFCI scam.
 
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