AFCIs are snake oil. It is a solution looking for a problem it might fix. We have a couple years of experience. Can anyone definitavely give us a number of fires that were prevented?
Statistics should show us something if this is the panacea that would justify this billion dollar fix. The AHJs that opted out of the AFCI rules should have had worse fire statistics on their new homes.
All of the alarms in the world don't help if you are not home when the AFCI trips. Do you really want to come home from a long weekend to find all your food spoiled, pipes frozen or your house flooded? Do you really want to be in the middle of your year end tax preparation and have your PC crash? How all about all your buddies missing the last 30 seconds of the big game while you run downstairs to reset the breaker? That could get you hurt.
Sure I could put this stuff on a UPS or battery backup but if the fault is downstream of the UPS or battery you have negated the protection you were supposed to have with the AFCI.
All of this for a device we can't even prove has saved a single life.
Comparing this with GFCIs is not any more valid than comparing safety glasses with wearing a tin foil hat.
[This message has been edited by gfretwell (edited 08-05-2006).]
