Tripping AFCI Breaker
#1
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Tripping AFCI Breaker
I remodeled my bedroom to the studs and rewired the room. I have a can light on a 15 amp AFCI. There are also 4 plugins, one being a GFCI, with nothing plugged in. When I turned the breaker on, it tripped. I have tried different switches, unplugged the can light, unwired the plugins from the circuit and ran a new wire from the switch that controls the can light. I had only the can light on the circuit and the breaker tripped when I flipped the switch. I have gotten to the troubleshooting point of wiring the switch directly to the breaker but it still trips when the switch is flipped.
I am in Montana and am very comfortable with electrical work but very frustrated at this point.
I am in Montana and am very comfortable with electrical work but very frustrated at this point.
#2
Welcome to the forums.
When dealing with arc fault breakers..... the neutral wire cannot touch ground. If you have a meter...... with the lighting circuit disconnected from the panel..... check from white to ground. There should be no continuity measured.
With newer NM-b cable the jacket and insulation is much thinner then in the past. A staple squishing the insulation can also cause an issue.
When dealing with arc fault breakers..... the neutral wire cannot touch ground. If you have a meter...... with the lighting circuit disconnected from the panel..... check from white to ground. There should be no continuity measured.
With newer NM-b cable the jacket and insulation is much thinner then in the past. A staple squishing the insulation can also cause an issue.
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I have removed all switches and receptacles from the circuit. The switch is wired directly to the wire coming from the breaker, white to white, black to black, ground to ground, no light in the middle. I have wired two other AFCI breakers that are working fine on other circuits.
#10
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I took the switch and a wire (new wire still coiled) over to the breaker box and wired it directly, bypassing the walls. I tried a lighted and a non-lighted switch and same result, trip. I removed a non AFCI 15 amp breaker from another circuit and wired it to light and non-lighted switch and both switches tripped the breaker.??????????
Breaker Box- Black to the breaker, white to the neutral bar and ground to the ground bar.
Switch- Black to screw, white to screw (both screws same color), ground to green screw.
Breaker Box- Black to the breaker, white to the neutral bar and ground to the ground bar.
Switch- Black to screw, white to screw (both screws same color), ground to green screw.
#11
Switch- Black to screw, white to screw (both screws same color), ground to green screw.

#14
I remodeled my bedroom to the studs and rewired the room. I have a can light on a 15 amp AFCI. There are also 4 plugins, one being a GFCI, with nothing plugged in.
#15
Switch- Black to screw, white to screw (both screws same color), ground to green screw.