Lighting Circuit AFCI tripping

Status
Not open for further replies.
E

eplanajr

Member
Location
Washington
Occupation
Project Manager - Utility
Several switches are suddenly tripping the breaker.

15A Homeline AFCI breaker feeding 15 switches. I built the home 18 months ago. Was working fine throughout the day. Went upstairs to put kids to bed and suddenly a trip.
  • 12 of the 15 switches will trip the breaker.
  • The switches control (50) LED specific light fixtures at 8W - 9W each, and (4) bathroom fart fans.
  • All switches have been checked. No issues with wiring found with wiring. No neutrals shared with any other circuits.
  • (1) Timer switch was replaced with regular 1P switch as part of trouble shooting.
  • AFCI breaker was swapped for a known good breaker (AFCI) same result.
  • AFCI breaker was swapped for a regular breaker - breaker holds (obviously because it doesn't trip because it isn't a GFCI either.
  • The Square D, smart diagnostic tool on the breaker indicates a ground-fault. None of the wiring in the boxes looks like it is touching.
  • In process of checking every single light fixture to ensure there aren't any wiring issues, more than halfway done. So far so good.
I feel like the AFCI is telling me something, but the sudden nature of the issue is surprising to me.

Any ideas?
 
I suspect a quick closure to this thread, as we are not allowed to help DIYers.

Best bet is to contact a qualified electrical contractor who has a decent service guy that can come figure it out.

Many people have had issues with AFCIs, and debugging them can be a long and expensive process.

Could be that there is some kind of RFI filter on the LED lights that is leaking enough to trip the GF. What does the spec on those LED lights say about such things? Only takes 6 mA to trip a GFCI.
 
Understood.
I can certainly say that the I am learning that these particular LED fixtures are junk. I have searched to see if there is anything about the fixtures that detail out any known issues that would result in something like this. In reading some "reviews" there have been people who experience GFCI trips with these fixtures.

I know it only takes a little bit to trip the minor ground fault on the breaker.

I am in the industry, just no longer in the field.
 
Last edited:
eplanajr said:
Understood.
I can certainly say that the I am learning that these particular LED fixtures are junk. I have searched to see if there is anything about the fixtures that detail out any known issues that would result in something like this. In reading some "reviews" there have been people who experience GFCI trips with these fixtures.

I know it only takes a little bit to trip the minor ground fault on the breaker.

I am in the industry, just no longer in the field.
Click to expand...
You seem to be zeroed in on the LED fixtures.
Is there something you know that you're not letting on?
 
James L said:
You seem to be zeroed in on the LED fixtures.
Is there something you know that you're not letting on?
Click to expand...
I don't want to rant about them, but I have had an terror of a time with failures. The fixtures are IC rated but if insulation is in a farts distance they heat up and melt the lens. The manufacturer says they identified the issues and fixed it.

The fix? Lowering the specified usage temperature. Mickey Mouse if you ask me.

I'm swapping every flipping (excuse the pun) fixture in the house and the manufacturer is refunding me on 150 of them.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
 
Hv&Lv said:
Romex stapled too tight?
break the circuit into pieces
Click to expand...
Working on that.

It wouldn't suddenly be stapled too tight? Been living in the house for 18 months now. Plus months of me working in the house prior the occupancy.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
 
eplanajr said:
I don't want to rant about them, but I have had an terror of a time with failures. The fixtures are IC rated but if insulation is in a farts distance they heat up and melt the lens. The manufacturer says they identified the issues and fixed it.

The fix? Lowering the specified usage temperature. Mickey Mouse if you ask me.

I'm swapping every flipping (excuse the pun) fixture in the house and the manufacturer is refunding me on 150 of them.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Throw them out and start over again
 
eplanajr said:
I don't want to rant about them, but I have had an terror of a time with failures. The fixtures are IC rated but if insulation is in a farts distance they heat up and melt the lens. The manufacturer says they identified the issues and fixed it.

The fix? Lowering the specified usage temperature. Mickey Mouse if you ask me.

I'm swapping every flipping (excuse the pun) fixture in the house and the manufacturer is refunding me on 150 of them.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
All your problems might go away in one fell swoop. I would say the same as @Knuckle Dragger

I would think, as it's heating and swelling in the driver, there's something arcing across the PC board
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top