100 days of Article 100: Arc-fault circuit interrupter
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Ever since their inception in 1999, arc-fault circuit interrupters have been one of the most hotly debated topics in the National Electrical Code. This video describes what they are and how they work.
I wish I could get on board with AFCI like I did with GFCI, but it hasn't happened yet, and I don't think it ever will. They cost nearly an order of magnitude more than a regular breaker, there's no way (other than the test button) to test them, they react to RF, the electronics in them can go bad from voltage spikes, every manufacturer uses their own algorithms to run them, and they are the most problematic electrical device we have to install. I would MUCH rather have to install whole-house GFCI protection. That's a much more transparent technology. It's also interesting to note that the manufacturers have been fighting a real uphill battle in Europe to get them adopted, probably because there are many more well-educated electricians, code panel members, etc. who are pushing back and defending the existing 50 mA GFCI protection already in place (as RCDs), as well as much more rigorous testing procedures in place in many countries (ex, mandatory yearly installation testing in the UK which looks for problems before they become deadly).
UK's "wiring regulations" panel just recently adopted them, but only in limited locations for now.
GFCI
ARC Fault
All should have a life time warranty.
🍺🍺🍺🥃🥃🍇🏌🏻♀️
Stay safe.
Retired (werk'n)keyboard super tech. Wear your safety glasses.
Better yet wear proper PPL on every job. Get all rubber & canvas gloves checked & dated stamped every 6 months.
@@garbo8962 I retired all that gear and the PPE they gave me is already 4 years old.😂🤣🤣😂🍺🥃😐
@@realestateservicessaleshea99 Well you beat me by 1 year retiring. Worked 16 years as a sparky for a gannett newspaper back when they were making millons of dollar a day with their 100 plus newspapers & TV stations. Cheapest people ever. Asked for 600 volt set of gloves for all the electricisns. Told me that they were looking into only buying 1 pair.They never did buy any. Told them that I refuse to share gloves that will protect my life. For 4 months made me take a few 480 volt 3 phase twist lock male plugs off equipment for busy Saturday night until I broke a second one after stripping out a screw that I always extra tigthened. Told them if I had a torque wrench it would never happen. Large rich hospital that I retired from purchased us cal 50 helments with a battery operated cooling fan. Had a piece of crap ge junk 13,200 volt dual service switchgear that had a 124 cal that morons installed vents at eye level. In the event of an arc flash that large before killing you would incerate the entire head. Way to go ge. Was told any & all arc flashes above 50 cal would kill you no matter what PPL worn.
Thanks for the great video! I'm having HORRIBLE nuisance tripping with my new Siemens QAF2 breakers. Making me long for the days of screw in fuses!!! Seems like AFCI is a solution looking for a problem.
They should make all circuit breakers with clear cases. That way you can visually check the condition of the breaker, especially that of the contacts.
Hey Ryan, thanks for this. Great to finally get some clear insight into the heuristics used by the DSP/uP algorithms when they do the waveform signature analysis.
Have been reading about AFCI'S for last 10 years and this is the best vid that really explains them. Wonder how long it will take before they are required in at least offices and around or in hazarous locations such as gas pumps. Talked to a Square D sales engineer about AFCI'S over the years. He was a test dummy for them. First batch would trip every time the vacuum cleaner was operating so he went out and purchased a new vacuum cleaner and that tripped AFCI'S. Brillant engineers at Square D reprogrammed them and never tripped again while running vacuum cleaner. Ryan do you know if any AFCI'S are capable of self testing like all of the GFCI'S receptacles made in last 4 or 5 years do? This vid by far in the top 3 that you have produced. Thanks.
What are the options for using my Dewalt circular saw that trips the AFCI breaker other than buying a new smaller saw?
Replace carbon brushes and/or blow out carbon dust settled on commutator.
Have you reached out to DeWalt?
Come on Ryan,, you had to know that was a CH breaker they are the only ones with a tan handle.
I can never remember if tan is CH or BR.
Very good explanation! I'm wiring an addition to my house and carefully reading code requirements, and I had never seen AFCI breakers required before because all of the panels I've seen were old installs. When I saw that AFCI breakers were 4x the cost of a standard breaker, I was curious to know what went into making them work. This completely answers my questions. Thanks!
Great explanation, and I understand the economics, one day arc-fault breakers will be considered obsolete. We gone simple fuses to arc-fault all in 100 years time...
This is the first time I have ever seen anyone explain the tripping specifications. Is this standard across the industry or does it vary by brand?
I explain what the product standard requires. Manufacturers must meet those requirements, but they all have different ways of doing it.
great video !!!
thanks
Always looking forward to watch you videos. Well done!!👏
Where did you get the clear AFCI breaker?
I got it from Eaton...in 2003.
Thanks for the valuable information
I am just wondering if there is a relationship between AFCI and other breakers like RCCB and RCBO
Do all provide the same level of protection?
Is one type better or more recommended than the another?
Thanks
They protect against different hazards.
OK.
Thanks for your response.
So, AFCI protects against arcs. These arcs can be results of short circuit and overload.
Does this mean that AFCI indirectly protects against short circuit and overload and can replace the traditional MCBs?
I saw in my home panel board that the installed breakers seem to be AFCI. ''Current Interrupting Rating'' is printed on it. So, this means that it is AFCI ?
Thanks and sorry for the long question.
@@a_h4000 No problem. An AFCI circuit breaker is a molded case circuit breaker, so it protects against short circuits and ground faults like a typical breaker. Additionally, it protects against the specific types of arcs covered in the video.
The interrupting rating is the amountvof current it can interrupt without extensive damage to itself. Yours will almost certainly be rated 10,000A.
@@a_h4000 A standard breaker only responds to overcurrent alone. When the current thru the breaker exceeds the trip rating, the breaker trips according to the time-current curve. Extreme amounts of overcurrent (shorts) will trip it quickly, and moderate amounts of overcurrent (overloads) trip it slowly. AFCI and GFCI are protective features to add to a breaker, on top of the protection included in a standard breaker.
A GFCI breaker looks for residual current that is flowing where it shouldn't be flowing, and trips when the current between neutral and ground exceeds a given threshold. In other words, the current should flow exclusively on the conductors meant to carry it, and the circuit should be a closed path among them. If it returns to the source via the EGC, conduit, structural metal or other conductive paths not meant for current carrying, that is a ground fault.
An AFCI breaker looks for waveform shapes that are characteristic of an arc fault, and trips when such a waveform is detected. Your current could be completely below the trip rating of the breaker, but because the waveform detected is likely an arc, that's what causes it to trip. An arc is what happens when the electric field (Voltage difference per millimeter) across an air gap, causes the air to change phase from gas to plasma. A gas like air is a great insulator, but only if it remains in the gas state. A plasma of any substance, is guaranteed to be a conductor, which is what the air becomes when there is an electrical arc. This is an issue when there is damaged conductor insulation, that could generate the arcs and start a fire in the building.
Thanks Ryan. Another great and informative video.
What a great idea for a video series!! awesome videos Ryan , keep up the great work and THANK YOU for taking time to make these and educate people👍👍👍
Up until now I thought the series came first then the combo was parallel too. I've been living a lie, I'm so ashamed. Great video! Thanks. BTW, do you think "nuisance tripping" could be blamed on the gfpe CT? How do you know if it's in there?
I think a lot of the trips are from the GFPE. I'm not sure which breakers do and do not have it, sorry.
You gotta LOVE these videos! I do have a question regarding afci's. How will an afci react in regard to a parallel or series arc in a cracked or faulty lamp cord that might continue arcing under the specs mentioned. Also do you think arcing under these conditions could cause any dangers in a small room regarding carbon monoxide emission say if the cord is resting on carpet or similar even if flames would not occur - thus a smoldering condition only?. Thank you Ryan
The arc would need to be a parallel arc of 75A or more, which is difficult. The available fault current has to be high enough to allow such current. As far as the released products of combustion, I can't speak to it because that is not my area of expertise.
@@RyanJacksonElectrical Ok, thank you Ryan for such a quick response!
LOTS of wonderful information here...🙌
Thanks Ryan...!!!