Are AFCI Breakers Defective?

JohnJ0906

Defective, as in, bad right out of the box? I've experienced this, but not often. I've had bad GFCI right out of the box too.

If a person is sloppy with his wiring and splicing, he will have problems with AFCIs. Neutral/EGC contact and cross-circuit neutrals will trip AFCIs. (Not implying that you are)

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John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC

Bkessler

I heard once that there was a recall on 20 amp murruy afci's six months ago or so. But I don't remember where I heard that. I think a home depot employee.

Bill

Sweaty, are you referring to a bad breaker at a place called Woodlake, VA in a addition for the mother?
If so, I am the one who works for the GC who did that addition!

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Is it beer thirty yet
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Virginia Plumbing Codes

thom

A few years back Square D had a recall on their Arc Fault breakers.

TMG1

Early ones were a bit temperamental, but I don't recall a large recall on AFCI breakers lately.

Ponsse

Absolutely it's true. What's it been, 30-40 years since GFCI's have come out? The last article I read on that stated that approxiamately 10% of them right out of the box were defective, except they were defective to the point that they didn't trip or tripped at the wrong level so people don't know it. Could you possibly think that AFCI's are any better? Expecially since they won't give out the specs on the logarythms they use in there circuitry because they claim they are trade secrets, so there's no way to properly test them.

Don't drink the kool-aid people ---------- Just follow the money.

Now the NFPA is starting to make me sound like a conspiracy theorist!!!

Speedy Petey

Nothin' wrong with that!

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Bkessler

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05035.html


Here is a recall on square d afci's