On Tue, 23 Feb 2016 00:29:06 -0500, "Texas Kingsnake"
wrote:



I wish this stinker just worked when we turned the panel back on. He
charged me $750 for the panel replacement (20 breakers in all) and it took 6
hours. That seems to be a pretty good price for panel replacement and he
did a very neat job. This AFCI thing was just circumstances beyond anyone's
control. As ****ed off as I am by all the extra work that is involved, I
suppose I should be thankful that the AFCI discovered the arc fault, and not
the firemen.

You got away easy.
My panel replacement and GFCI upgrades, including 1 AFCI and several 2
pole GFCI breakers and 4 GFCI outlets - 125 amp panel, and inspections
didn't give me much change from $3G

Sometimes an old am transistor radio can detect the crackle - (couls
even work for series arc - I'd give it a try anyway!!

Now I feel like a Marconi operator listening for the Titanic sinking!

FWIW, I took the old main breaker out and it was certainly heat and
corrosion damaged. Very interesting how they put those things together. I
think it would have lasted another 20 years, though, because none of the
contact areas were very corroded. The problem was the broken set screw and
though we patched around it, the only way to repair it was to replace it.

Still, I am happy we replaced it even though my wallet is not.

TKS