I have an arc fault circuit that has been on for about a year with no problems. Its about a year old. I plugged in a computer and it was fine. I plugged in a second computer and it tripped. The only things on the line right now are the 2 computers it a is 20amp breaker. My problem is the breaker wont reset at all. It dose not even try like its not catching to re set. Is this normal or do I have a bad breaker?

FYI both computers are running fine on another arc fat circuit at this time.

 

Disconnect the wire from the AFCI breaker and see if you can reset it. If not replace the breaker.

 

If it resets after taking the wires off then what?

 

if you have 2 Arc fault breakers in your panel.....s ame size,same amp.....

one breaker trips.....is it the circuit or is it the breaker



turn off both breakers

reverse the 2 sets of wires on the breakers

take the black and white wires off of breaker “A” AND PUT ON BREAKER “B”

take the black and white wires off of breaker “B” AND PUT ON BREAKER “A

NOW.........EACH CIRCUIT IS ON A “NEW BREAKER”

DOES THE TRIPPED (WILL NOT RESET) BREAKER” RESET?

IF YES...........THE BREAKER IS GOOD AND THE OLD CIRCUIT IS TRIPPING THE NEW BREAKER NOW. YOU LOOK FOR A SHORT IN THE BAD CIRCUIT

IF NO............THE BREAKER IS BAD...

AND THE OLD CIRCUIT IS WORKING ON THE NEW BREAKER NOW. ..

REPLACE IT

 

I think before I went too far trying to do elaborate troubleshooting I'd start by just unplugging the second computer that tripped the arc fault breaker in the first place and see if the breaker will reset.

 

Update

So i have a ground fault on the same line so i tripped that on purpose to see if the breaker would reset. It did not so i pulled the breaker out of the box. All wires still attached and it reset. I placed the breaker back in and it stayed on. I then hit the reset for the ground fault and all is good. I then took a power tool and tried it on a few of the plugs including the same one the last computer that tripped it was in. No problems. Should I be concerned that I have something going on or maybe it did not like the computer? What are your thoughts?

 

Did you plug the second computer back in? It's always possible to have a nuisance trip, but they aren't so common on modern combination arc fault breakers.