ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues AFCI

I just read Mike Holt's newsletter where he withdrawing his proposal to remove the afci requirement from the NEC.Anyone else read this?

Yup...

Ya gotta hand it to him for being able to change his mind like that...

Me, I'm still against them. Don (resqcapt19) has me convinced, as well as my own reluctance to sell something I don't fully believe in. GFCIs are another story, a product I do believe in.

First I was for them...

Then against them...

Now, I'll just put 'em (as I have been) in unless the code changes in '05.


Baaaaa, Baaaaa, Baaaaaa...
</bleating sheep>

Good for Mike.
The only way for the AFCI to evolve into a valuable safety device is for us to start installing it, and documenting any deficiencies.

I remember the negative comments about GFCIs 40 years ago.

Ed

The most important thing to get out of Mike's report is the fact that the AFCI breaker does use the GFP part of the circuit to provide protection for any type of high resistance connection type of fault. This means that these devices will provide only very limited protection on circuits that do not include an EGC. It does appear based on Mike's observation that these devices will work mostly as claimed for circuits with an EGC. I still have questions about the actual number of fires that these devices will prevent. I think that based on Mike's withdrawal of his proposal, that 210.12 will stay in the code and likely be expanded. There is no question that they will prevent some fires and save some people.
Don

Yea I read Mike's letter. I still do not like AFCIs and am not convinced they are worth the cost or trouble. With my very bad experiences with them, I doubt I'll change my mind.

nesparky, just curious as to what your very bad experiences with afci's were?

E Scott,

NESparky sums up his experience about halfway down this second page of a 3 - page thread.

Al

the manufacture's seem no longer interested in making 'believers' out of field electricians like us here.

and why should they, if they can shmooze the powers that be


Baaaaaaa...Baaaaaaaaa......

[This message has been edited by sparky (edited 11-15-2002).]