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RE: AFCIs

To: <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: AFCIs
From: "Randall Young" <Ryoung@navcomtech.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 20:51:12 -0700
> I started thinking about these after installing an extra power receptical.
> Turns out I wound the hot wires in the wrong direction so that tightening
> the wire nut had the effect of unwinding them slightly...enough
> to make the
> connection flakey and it resulted in an very slight hiss
> (fortunately the room
> was very quiet).  At least that's my theory.  Rewrapping seemed
> to take care
> of it.  Am I correct in presuming that an AFCI, if it were
> installed, would
> have detected this?

I am by no means an expert, but as I read the descriptions, probably not, at
least with current units.  The present standard requires only that fault
currents in excess of 75 amps be detected, which would be unlikely with a
"series" spark.  I found an article that spoke of testing current units,
finding they would trip as low as 55 amps, which still seems unlikely to me
unless you have a very reactive load.
http://www.iaei.org/magazine/02_3/magazine_02e_prater2.htm

I could be wrong ...
Randall

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