Mark, more a 'truth in advertising' issue about said magic widgets efficy....
The search engine for this forum coughed up 66 responses to 'AFCI'.
A lot has been hashed out....

Mark (et all)...ask, & do not blindly accept ..... facts please..
(the archives will concere)

--what do AFCI's protect?
It protects the branch circuit,the listing agree, limited ability beyond, do not believe all this 'crimped' lampcord bull,
In a nutshell, the powers that be are stating our wiring methods S**K !
I beg to differ, institute real inspections by real inspectors and weed out the disidents please...short of this is two wrongs to make a right.
I've installed 100's of these little 'trade jems' since VT instituted them per state law in the 99 cycle.
Now VT is aparently having a change of heart, due to what is being seen in the field, or presented as public knowledge.
Subsequently, our rules are not out yet....

The crux is complicated here, but the listing disparity applies...

I argued the series-parrallel point and took up an hour of a recert, the instructor had the UL book out,the actual wording being 'carbonized' and 'noncarbonized' arcing, very vauge.....BTW, most in the class were under the impression of all round arc protection. This is NOT so....

--what is the expected lifespan of the AFCI?
you cannot megger the thing....

so...i would not bet that given the deterioration of NM and the probable need for the AFCI 30-40 years from now it will be able to function to tesing lab efficy....

I would not bet on the monthly tests done until then either..

--what statistics were the AFCI predicated on?

Fire dept's to not normally do detailed forensics, nor insurance companies, a cellarhole with no one apparently being home is many times coined 'electrical' in nature.

FF's in the know have voiced thier opinion across the internet about the stat's, the underlying message being the old addage used to present them to the NFPA ...


--how does an AFCI work?

simple Q , deserves a simple answer right?

(check archives...)




[This message has been edited by sparky (edited 08-04-2002).]