Several arc fault breakers in panels

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Ears, don't give up we're counting on you. BTW I just looked at the CH website for afci breakers. Apparently there is a new breaker out with a 22 KAIC rating. I couldn't find out much about it though. The cat. no. for these are BRH115AF (s.p. 15A.) and BRH120AF (s.p. 20 A.). I think they are bolt in type. These may be 3 phase compatible. But that may be wrong too.

Keep this up and we'll learn more. Thanks guys.:)


Edit: Don, I'm wondering if the 120 degree phase wave is incompatible with the afci's.
 
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You are correct, Yanni. The handout that the inspector gave me that stated use only on 120/240v systems was only for the Fire-guard AFCI's for residential use, not the bolt-ons. The only problem is, I can't find any REAL information on these new breakers other than the catalog stuff.
The inspector is going to have the electrical contractor provide an unopened breaker (in the box) to see what the enclosed literature has to say.
As things are going, it appears that they may NOT be changing out these breakers after all. This could be a good thing if U.L. gets things in gear and gets a crew out there soon to do some evaluations on the conditions. Now, if the $$$$ is big enough, we may not see ANY reports on this.
'And the beat goes on'.
 
It occurs to me, that in the installation we're discussing. . .the 208 Y /120 that the panel has double pole breakers. . .

Now, I imagine that the branch circuit homeruns to each double pole breaker are multiwire branch circuits. That's what I'd do to save some labor and material.

But.

If one installs single pole AFCIs, and individual branch circuit homeruns, then one could use existing AFCIs in the 3 ? panel, right? I don't have CH single pole AFCI installation instructions that I can lay my hands on.

That would double the heat output from the AFCI power supplies and processors, however, as there would now be twice as many individual AFCIs in the panel in the photos above. Contact, terminal, and thermal trip heat sources should be the same, I think.
 
al hildenbrand said:
If one installs single pole AFCIs, and individual branch circuit homeruns, then one could use existing AFCIs in the 3 ? panel, right? I don't have CH single pole AFCI installation instructions that I can lay my hands on.
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MD printed the instructions for the existing afci breakers in a different thread. It is in the "2 Pole Dilemma - Rejected" thread on page 3. The instruction specify only single phase installation. These breakers look like they are mostly designed for home use.
 
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M. D. said:
It is on this thread as well post #106.
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As post #106 is written, I take that language to be about 2-pole AFCIs. I went to the other thread "2 Pole Dilemma - Rejected" and found at post #27 this:
M. D. said:
For single pole CH115af & CH1120af it says single phase as well.
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So, for this building being discussed in this thread, 2005 NEC 210.18 invokes 210.12 which means the building has to be wired with a single phase service because all AFCIs are to be supplied by a single phase supply?

Interesting cul-de-sac.
 
Now, does anyone know if the bolt on CH afci's BRH115AF and BRH120AF can be used in a 3 phase panel? I couldn't find any instruction online.
 
yanici said:
Now, does anyone know if the bolt on CH afci's BRH115AF and BRH120AF can be used in a 3 phase panel? I couldn't find any instruction online.
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Yanci look at post 27-- It probably is no different.
 
Bob, as you alluded to earlier, some dwellings such as multi-unit buildings are supplied with 3 phase services and then single phase panels in each unit. The instructions do specify that that even single pole afci's to be installed in single phase panels.

We really need some solid input from CH on this subject.
 
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yanici said:
Bob, as you alluded to earlier, some dwellings such as multi-unit buildings are supplied with 3 phase services and then single phase panels in each unit. The instructions do specify that that even single pole afci's to be installed in single phase panels.

We really need some solid input from CH on this subject.
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You would be installing them in a single phase panel.

Is the concern that you will be installing it in a single phase panel supplied with 208/120 instead of 120/240?
 
iwire said:
Is the concern that you will be installing it in a single phase panel supplied with 208/120 instead of 120/240?
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Yes. The instructions call for that.
 
Click on the desired link in the little box under the picture. Installation manuels is were I found what I posted before .
 
Thanks for the link M.D. This is what I found. My emphasis is highlighted yellow. There are no 240 V vs. 208 V comments. As Bob (iwire) points out, a dwelling unit panel with two hot legs, only, of a 208 Y / 120, is a single phase panel.

So it looks like one solution for the 2-pole AFCI at concern in the Opening Post of this thread is to install 1-pole AFCIs if the homeruns aren't multiwire branch circuits.
C-HAFCI15_20InstallInstructionUp-1.jpg

Edit: A better image -- Al
 
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Thinking a little further. . ."single phase 120 VAC grounded power sypply system only". What 2-wire, hot and grounded conductor, isn't single phase?
 
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