rpoet
Member
Hi All,
I have a question regarding AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) circuit breakers. How do they compare to GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) breakers? After a recent fire at a relative's home (no one was hurt, but the smoke and water damage was total. The house will have to be completely renovated) caused by chaffed wiring on a cheap floor lamp, we were told that AFCI protected outlets in the bedrooms might have prevented the fire.
I have installed GFCI breakers and understand how they work; the breaker compares current going to the load with current returning from the load with a current transformer and trips if the imbalance exceeds (typically) 6ma.
What does an AFCI do that a GFCI can't? Wouldn't a GFCI detect an imbalance in current from an arc to earth? I've read up on AFCI's on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFCI ), but I'd still like to know what's going on inside them.
Is it also true that AFCI's may nuisance trip if used to protect motor loads like ceiling fans, as well as some types of compact fluorescents? I've received differing views on this.
Thanks,
rpoet
I have a question regarding AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) circuit breakers. How do they compare to GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) breakers? After a recent fire at a relative's home (no one was hurt, but the smoke and water damage was total. The house will have to be completely renovated) caused by chaffed wiring on a cheap floor lamp, we were told that AFCI protected outlets in the bedrooms might have prevented the fire.
I have installed GFCI breakers and understand how they work; the breaker compares current going to the load with current returning from the load with a current transformer and trips if the imbalance exceeds (typically) 6ma.
What does an AFCI do that a GFCI can't? Wouldn't a GFCI detect an imbalance in current from an arc to earth? I've read up on AFCI's on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFCI ), but I'd still like to know what's going on inside them.
Is it also true that AFCI's may nuisance trip if used to protect motor loads like ceiling fans, as well as some types of compact fluorescents? I've received differing views on this.
Thanks,
rpoet