ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area hot arc fault breakers

Does any one have experience with AFCIs running hot to the touch in a load center , and not significantly loaded???


Charlie

... I've never had the pleasure,as NJ hasn't adopted that Code,..supposedly.I ask the electrical inspectors every time I encounter one(an inspector),and I'm told that they (AFCI's)haven't been adopted by the State.??? What gives??
Russ

[This message has been edited by Attic Rat (edited 02-26-2005).]

My favorite builder says she has heard AFCIs run warm from her sparky

Look at this picture (PDF file):

http://www.eatonelectrical.com/unsecure/cms1/AFCI_CUTAWAY.PDF

There is a tiny circuit board in there, with a power supply to supply DC to the circuitry (probably SMPS). There's even a big resistor. It will use some power to do the line monitoring constantly, and dissipate heat in doing so. And it's rather tight in there, so it's hard for the heat to get out, hence a noticeable temperature rise will result (the heat is getting out through the molded case).

I saw a statement from Siemens posted on an electrical forum that recommend not installing their arc fault breakers side by side as the heat from one effects the other.

It also suggested not running fans or vacuums from their AFCIs.

lots of confidence in the quality of their product, eh?

Thanks for the information anything else will be appreciated

Charlie

I suspect that running motors on AFCIs can cause false tripping.

Dave

How do they suggest you vacuum the bedroom?
I guess a conscientious electrician would install a non-AFCI in the hall outside every bedroom door and hope the vacuum has a long enough cord to reach the back corner of the bedroom.

Nebraska also has not yet adopted the AFCI thank goodness.
A number of my service calls on newer houses have been caused by thier tripping. Out of over 40 calls I have found only one circuit problem. (HO added an outlet and did not hook up ground wire.) A new AFCI usually trips in a couple of days but placing a GFCI breaker in the AFCI's place has yet to trip.
I aam still of the opinion that, while the AFCI concept is a good idea, the products offered are expensive junk. Have had problems with all makes.
By the way the contractors who built these places do not seem to respond to service call requests very well. They almost always seem to wait until thier warrenty period is over then give the HO a bill for a service call and put in a new AFCI. At least 5 HO's have shown me thier billing for thier service calls with the notation that the new AFCI is NOT warrented.
Makes you wonder why they won't stand behind thier work.