Originally Posted by DangeloInspections (Post 1109726)

The AFCI issue is a complicated and complex one. Much of what has been posted so far is good info, and some is a bit off the mark.
I am not an expert on this issue and my opinion is by no means the last word on the subject.

AFCI's trip for various reasons. They are designed to trip when an arc is detected or the amperage for that circuit is exceeded. The problem is that there are some electrical appliances that are designed to have an arc, like corded drills, some vacuum cleaners, etc, etc.

So....when an AFCI trips, the question is this.....Is the AFCI defective, oversensitive, etc, or is it correctly doing it's intended job. If the circuit is a 15 amp circuit, and you have a huge TV, sound system, a bunch of lamps, etc on the circuit, then plug in a powerful 12 amp vacuum cleaner, and the AFCI trips, you have probably exceeded the amperage.

While 15 amp receptacle circuits pass code, I personally prefer all of my receptacles wired with 20 amp circuits, but that is not required.

Furthermore, some AFCI's can trip from some refrigerators, plasma TV's etc. Sometimes the Electrician's will add a magnet type device to the conductors in the panelbox, or add a coil of additional conductors to that circuit to dissipate the problem, or change the electrical cord, etc, in the back of the refrigerator to solve this. Whirlpool recently has been covering the warranty cost of this on homes less than one year old.

To complicate the issue, one can have a Ham Radio operator a block away trip your AFCI breakers. That Ham Radio operator is doing nothing wrong, and his equipment is totally compliant to all laws and codes. He has every right to be a Ham Radio operator, just as much as you have the right to play golf. He is doing nothing wrong. You can own your home for say 5 years, no problems, then suddenly you have this problem due to a new neighbor or new hobby.

The law states that the manufacturers of the AFCI's have the obligation to make their product work with all existing electrical and radio frequencies, etc. The onus is on them. Not your neighbor. Sadly, this does not help you at all or solve your problem.

There are different generations of AFCI's, and the newer ones are less problematic. They are costly. A regular circuit breaker can cost less than $5.00, but AFCI's can be between $50-$80 a piece. Plus installation.

So, in short, this problem has a number of different causes, and some of the causes are the normal intended function of the AFCI(s). One size does NOT fit all.

This is NOT just a problem here in The Villages....it is a well known issue that should work itself out as the newer generations of AFCI's become more common.

When I do a warranty inspection I ask the homeowners if they have had any issues of this nature and make sure it get into the report so the Electrician's can take all the needed steps to remedy the issue, whether it be changing the AFCI, or the refrigerator component, etc.

Again, I am NOT an licenced Electrician. I have wired complete houses and as a Home Inspector have a good working knowledge of typical household electrical systems. I post this only as an attempt to clarify the issue somewhat. If you have this type of issue, I suggest contacting a good licensed Electrician to troubleshoot your UNIQUE situation, as your "fix" may be different than your neighbor. Any good Electrician should have a good understanding of this issue. I do know that Terry from Pike's is considered an expert on this issue.

I hope this helps....

Frank

Originally Posted by ditka41 (Post 1110404)

Thanks for the useful comments. Seems that we have a very common problem in a concentrated area. I am leaning toward problems caused by the recent lightening strikes we've had affecting overly sensitive breakers, but that's just my opinion. I left a message for Home Warranty (753-6222) and don't expect a response until tomorrow due to the holiday. If I don't have a response from them tomorrow, will try again. It's a good idea for all who have been affected to call them so they understand it's not just a few "squeaky wheels" complaining about this irritating and potentially dangerous problem.

Originally Posted by outahere (Post 1109190)

A few months back, a local electrician here in TV told me that they do see problems with the 1st generation of arc fault breakers being tripped by nearby HAM radios. While trying to determine the cause of the breakers tripping, they have found that HAM radio antennas can be "hidden" inside a flag pole, so they are difficult to locate. Supposedly, the 2nd generation of the arc fault breakers are not as sensitive to the radio waves, but they are not cheap.

Originally Posted by Vladimir (Post 1110611)

<snip> Turns out a not so good neighbor put in a HAM radio antenna which was causing the problem - and he didn't care and Community Standards was powerless in this situation.<snip>

Originally Posted by gene21fan (Post 1110679)

reading all about the breakers tripping mine 6 breakers just tripped at 10pm

Originally Posted by foxmeadow (Post 1110967)

I live north of 466A, in St James and many of my breakers kicked last night at about 10:15pm. There were 6 in a row, all 15 amp. It was like they went off one at time in rapid sequence. My house is three years old. I'm not too worried because this is a first, but I do wonder why, all of a sudden, this is happening. I called SECO and they said they have had numerous calls and continue to investigate.
My facts, as I see them:
-All breakers in a row
-All are 15 amps
-no lightning in the area
-I have a noise suppressor, installed by SECO, at the outside meter.

Hope we get a definitive answer soon.
:bigbow: