OT arc fault circuit interrupter

Not a GFCI but a AFCI
I had to put these goofy things in in the addition I put on a couple of years ago. It powers a 15 amp lighting circuit in the master bedroom, bathroom and hallway. It also powers my smoke detectors. Only 6 lights plus 3 smoke detectors on that circuit. The lights were off in the bedroom the other day so I flipped the afci breaker back on. Wont stay tripped on. I switched it out for a regular breaker and everything is working fine again.
They are expensive darned things to begin with.
Are these things like a gfci in that they will just crap out on you? I haven't done anything to the wiring lately.
Just wondering.

Sure, like any other mechanical/electrical devices THEY CAN CRAP OUT. However, as a past electrical design engineer I believe their use can help save lives and property and am a fan of their use, albeit there can be a failure or nuisance factor one has to deal with now n then.

The GFCI would trip if there was in the vicinity of 5 milliamps of LEAKAGE current that was flowing elsewhere other then the normal Neutral conductor return path.

The standard Thermal Magnetic circuit breaker requires EITHER a sudden high current draw (like a short) or else a slower lingering high current (like say 20 amps) overload type of current draw

HOWEVER if theres an arcing current condition THAT MAY WELL NOTTTTTTTTT TRIP the standard Thermal/Magnetic breaker ORRRRRRRRR trip a GFCI AND A LOW CURRENT ARC CAN CAUSE EXTREME HEAT AND START A FIRE while a thermal
magnetic or GFCI wont trip out

THEREFORE they can indeed help prevent fires and/or save lives as an arc is hotttttttt but may not trip a non AFCI breaker.

I say use them, the life they save may be yours or your family and to me thats worth an expense and/or an ocasional nuisance.

Thats my OPINION and all are welcome to their own if they want to use them or not

Yall keep safe n warm now n God Bless

John T

I believe the main reasons these were introduced is because of things like electric blankets. They are SUPPOSED to sense an arcing condition. I have no idea how they do that---but as an amateur radio operator I can tell you that one of the two that were installed in my house was a constant nuisance due to RF.

I'm guessing that even something as simple as a poor switch in a table lamp could cause them to trip. All I've found with Google is words like "they contain a computer chip" or "advanced electronics." I assume they look for noise on top of a "normal" 120V sine wave.

The arc fault breaker's detector circuit is looking for a "spark gap transmitter".
An electric arc provided the first broad band radio transmitters before they were banned for using up too much band width.
So if the arc fault breaker picks up RF from electrical sparking, it trips.
I would be trying another breaker and checking your house wiring. That breaker maybe trying to tell you something you should know about.

(quoted from post at 11:50:59 01/11/10)
I believe the main reasons these were introduced is because of things like electric blankets. They are SUPPOSED to sense an arcing condition. I have no idea how they do that---but as an amateur radio operator I can tell you that one of the two that were installed in my house was a constant nuisance due to RF.

I'm guessing that even something as simple as a poor switch in a table lamp could cause them to trip. All I've found with Google is words like "they contain a computer chip" or "advanced electronics." I assume they look for noise on top of a "normal" 120V sine wave.

Click to expand...

One of several conditions that will trip them is a series of 3 to 8 half-cycle currents exceeding 50amps within 1/2 second period. There are also varying currents to neutral, to ground, etc. that will trip them. As with GFIs, all current that goes thru the hot line MUST return thru the associated neutral, not via some other neutral (no shared neutrals). They are not just for blankets. Bad wiring, loose connections, etc.

I have seen cut away pics of them before there is a circuit board in them that takes up about half the space. They are very prone to failing due to power surges and spikes. I think what really takes them out is they have to step 120 down to 5V without the use of a transformer, its all done electronicly.

Could be a bad breaker or something in the wiring. A wire broke in a wire nut or maybe more likely, a hot light bulb has started burning through the wires in a light fixture or those light bulb sockets get hot, cororde, and just generally deteoriate over time. Might have a nail from the construction peirce the wire and it is finally showing up.

Other than inspecting all wires, connections, wire nuts, light sockets, etc., you might try one of those $30 harbor freight laser temperature meters ($60 at the big box stores) to look for hot spots.

The likely culprits may be a light switch going bad, a ceiling fan if you have one, or the smoke detectors. Wonder if it would trip if you disconnected the smoke detectors from the circuit.

This is similar to the issue of the loose neutral we dealt with on a thread a few days ago.

Board is moving fast today. Second page already.
I had to have two afci breakers to pass the inspection. So I'm thinking I will just hook this circuit to the other arc fault breaker and see what happens. If it pops that one too I know I have a problem somewhere. I built this addition myself and wired it too so I know there aren't any nails or screws in my wires.
Thanks to all who responded.

As an electrician I can tell you they are a constant source of aggravation and nuisance tripping. One will not stay on but if you replace it with another it will old just fine. Another example of inferior products being forced through before they are ready, similar to mandatory fluorescent lights(How well do they work at -10?). If the inspector is gone and you are living there and nobody the wiser well then..........