On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:38:30 -0800, "Roger Shoaf"
wrote:



wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 15:14:53 -0800, "Roger Shoaf"
wrote:


"Chris Hill" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 20:16:03 -0500, "Colbyt"
wrote:


If you want to protect yourself, make sure you keep mice out of it;
wires won't arc unless something has chewed off the insolation or
something wasn't installed correctly.

Wires won't but switches do all the time. Do you reckon that might be
a
problem? )


I wonder how the breakers deal with that. The biggest thing our local
university found is that plugging in anything like a fluorescent desk
light without having it turned off first would trip the afci every
time. I'm sure that the breakers available a few years from now will
be better than what is available today.

I speculate that it is more of an issue when a bed is jammed up against
the
outlet and the plug for the clock radio starts arcing. The fact that the
AFCI responded to having a load being switched by the plug is exactly the
response they were supposed to have.


Actually, no. When safety devices cause false-positives people
bypass/or remove them. For a safety device to work properly, it's not
suppose to **** people off in the process. The afci might have been
faulty, cause it's suppose to be smart enought to distingish a switch
closing and an actual arc.

I would have them replaced.


He didn't say the breakers tripped when the lamp was switched on, he said:

"The biggest thing our local university found is that plugging in anything
like a fluorescent desk light without having it turned off first would trip
the afci every time."

Sorry distingish a circuit loop closing( a small series arc), and an
actual arc.


When the plug is inserted into the socket there is an arc if there is a
load. The breaker is doing what it was designed to do.

In this story, wouldn't be supprised the lamps were somehow faulty.
Like the plugs were warn, or too small and while minipulating the
plug, it had loose connections.

But that's me, I'm sold on afci, and hope with time they will get
better and cheaper with more public use.

later,

tom