Boy Reno if only we could have an upgrade rule or this installation is licenced for X # of years and that at the end of the period an inspection would be done and any mandated upgrade be performed. Alas the structure of approvals and codes only apply to a new installation with small exceptions for maintenance or if a part of the electrical is improperly being used. Once an installation is finalized it is for ever assuming the conditions of use don't change.
I especially like the idea of a trip indicator that differentiates the possible trip reason. Clearly the troubleshooting exercise is different for overload vs. over current or arc fault.
I agree my initial enthusiasm for AFCI was tainted when I started reading the stories that series arcs are detectable in the 3rd generation breakers. This was part of the original promise and all the sales hype. Of course we got these new devices a little later than the US did so maybe we started at 3rd generation. I think we actually started mandating them before the series arc detection.
I wish the manufacturers would get these breakers listed for their GFI protection so contractors could use them for heat tracing circuits. The current 30 ma trip GFI breakers are $200.00 never mind the GFCI breakers yet an AFCI breaker that can detect 30 ma ground faults is only $60.00.
The bottom line is I still see AFCI breakers as an advancement in breaker technologies and look forward to their greater utilization in residential applications.
