This video that's been circulating around the web looks a little unnerving. It seems to show that they may be next to worthless for a fairly substantial, sustained, heat generating series arc, which is strange because we were always told that the original branch-feeder AFCI's where supposed to work for that type of arcing fault. I think everyone is probably aware that the newer combination type AFCI's are having real issues detecting the parallel faults they were claimed to be able to handle. So, I'm wondering where that leaves us now as far as the integrity of the overall AFCI design goes.
I'm thinking that sooner or later someone is going to call their bluff and demand some sort of verifiable independent real world field testing be done on these devices. I mean other than the homeowners and contractors that have been indirectly mandated to pay for it.
AFCI Test I looks like the guy is using a Cutler Hammer CH style breaker for the arcing demonstration in the video, which is kind of has me reminiscing, because I can remember back as an apprentice doing work in an attic on a live circuit fed with a standard 15A CH breaker two floors down in the basement and literally arc welding with it by touching the hot wire against the side of a grounded J-box. Never was able to get it to trip, but I had done that several other times over the first few years and that was just something those CH breakers were well known for, back then anyway.
