AFCI Fuse - is so annoying

Posted by Zean Smith on November 9, 2005, 5:02 pm

My house which is 1.5 years old has been having problem with the Siemens
AFCI Fuse. According to the builder, this fuse is installed on 2nd floor
for bedrooms for some reasons. The AFCI part of the fuse always get tripped
after power interruption by local hydro company. I had to manually went to
basement to reset it.

This AFCI is so stupid and annoying. It has been raining these days these
days and it almost got tripped once a week! Never had any problem usually in
sunny days because there is no power interruption.

1. Is it possible to replace it with the regular Fuse? I am really sick of
this. Will that violate the electrical code??
2. This is so annoying that I even tried to unplug computers, light fixture
but didn't help, still got same problem. Any other suggestions?
3. Should get another AFCI Fuse? maybe the one I have is defected??

Help....

Posted by Jeff Wisnia on November 9, 2005, 5:17 pm

Zean Smith wrote:

> My house which is 1.5 years old has been having problem with the Siemens
> AFCI Fuse. According to the builder, this fuse is installed on 2nd floor
> for bedrooms for some reasons. The AFCI part of the fuse always get tripped
> after power interruption by local hydro company. I had to manually went to
> basement to reset it.
>
> This AFCI is so stupid and annoying. It has been raining these days these
> days and it almost got tripped once a week! Never had any problem usually in
> sunny days because there is no power interruption.
>
> 1. Is it possible to replace it with the regular Fuse? I am really sick of
> this. Will that violate the electrical code??
> 2. This is so annoying that I even tried to unplug computers, light fixture
> but didn't help, still got same problem. Any other suggestions?
> 3. Should get another AFCI Fuse? maybe the one I have is defected??
>
> Help....
>
>

What you are calling a fuse is likely what informed folks in the USA
wuld call a circuit breaker, in your case it's an Arc Fault Circuit
Interrupter (AFCI) type.

It's becoming code required for new construction to prevent things like
squashed extension cords from creating holocausts, they "open" when they
sense a spikey current flow through them, as occurs from an arcing
crushed cord.

I'd suggest that you not replace it with a regular breaker, for safety's
sake plus if something bad did happen and an inspector found what you'd
done, insurance might not pay for the damage.

Have you tried consulting with the power company and/or Seimens to see
if there's a cure for what your encountering?

Will it trip if you turn your main circuit breaker off and on, or does
it just happen when the power company has problems?

Let us know what you find out, I for one am interested in learning more
about those AFCIs.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Posted by Goedjn on November 9, 2005, 5:45 pm

>> This AFCI is so stupid and annoying. It has been raining these days these
>> days and it almost got tripped once a week! Never had any problem usually in
>> sunny days because there is no power interruption.
>>
>> 1. Is it possible to replace it with the regular Fuse? I am really sick of
>> this. Will that violate the electrical code??
>> 2. This is so annoying that I even tried to unplug computers, light fixture
>> but didn't help, still got same problem. Any other suggestions?
>> 3. Should get another AFCI Fuse? maybe the one I have is defected??

Yes, you can replace it with a regular breaker, and yes,
doing so will violate code.

You might be able to get some sort of device for your
house main that shuts the power off when it goes out,
and resets itself only after getting clean power for
an arbitrary period of time.

Posted by RBM on November 9, 2005, 5:31 pm

These are first generation AFCI devices. As with a lot of new technology,
there are often problems with early models. If it wasn't to much of a
bother, I'd wait for newer generation units before replacing it. It would be
a violation of NEC to replace it with a non AFCI unit

> My house which is 1.5 years old has been having problem with the Siemens
> AFCI Fuse. According to the builder, this fuse is installed on 2nd floor
> for bedrooms for some reasons. The AFCI part of the fuse always get
> tripped after power interruption by local hydro company. I had to manually
> went to basement to reset it.
> This AFCI is so stupid and annoying. It has been raining these days these
> days and it almost got tripped once a week! Never had any problem usually
> in sunny days because there is no power interruption.
> 1. Is it possible to replace it with the regular Fuse? I am really sick of
> this. Will that violate the electrical code??
> 2. This is so annoying that I even tried to unplug computers, light
> fixture but didn't help, still got same problem. Any other suggestions?
> 3. Should get another AFCI Fuse? maybe the one I have is defected??
> Help....
>

Posted by EXT on November 9, 2005, 6:28 pm

You use the term "hydro" when referring to the electricity utility, that
means you are in Ontario, or Quebec, Canada. If you are in Ontario, it would
be against the electrical code to remove it. I don't know about Quebec, they
do things differently, but usually before Ontario mandates things.

tripped

> after power interruption by local hydro company. I had to manually went to
> basement to reset it.
> This AFCI is so stupid and annoying. It has been raining these days these
> days and it almost got tripped once a week! Never had any problem usually

> sunny days because there is no power interruption.
> 1. Is it possible to replace it with the regular Fuse? I am really sick of
> this. Will that violate the electrical code??
> 2. This is so annoying that I even tried to unplug computers, light

fixture

> but didn't help, still got same problem. Any other suggestions?
> 3. Should get another AFCI Fuse? maybe the one I have is defected??
> Help....

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