PCBelarge: Although I respect your opinion and agree that some of the wiring methods I have seen are less than professional, I have been landing panels for about 15 years and have been complimented by nearly every inspector and other electrician that has seen my work. I follow manufacturer spec's when installing AFCI breakers, and any other type of breaker I might be working with, and I don't believe that my methods are causing the issues that I have run across with the AFCI's. I believe that you are correct in that the technology is still evolving, but I feel that the AFCI requirement is being pushed through by the manufacturers prematurely, and I also think that their motivation (profit) is less than admirable.
It's a great idea to be able to impliment any type of device that may increase the safety of an electrical system, but I still foresee trouble in the first stages of implementation of the new regulation, and I think it will be because the technology still needs a lot of work.
